Stasia's Place Of Grace

2007-10-06T21:20:00.000-05:00

Please come visit my new home at Yarn And A Barn - there's lots happening!

Don't forget to comment and say hello!

New Address

2007-02-28T15:13:00.000-06:00

New Blogger has busted my blog. I've started a new one (despite Blogger's tools not being exactly Mac-compatible), and it's at:

http://yarnandabarn.blogspot.com

It's lean and mean and clean with no ads or junk. I hope to keep it Zen-ish but I'm a fool for every crazy bloggy animated cartoony thing that comes along...

This blog will no longer be maintained. You can access the archives again through the big mess of gobbledegook in the sidebar (the old archive format was no longer functional in "New Blogger").

I think I should spend more time fibering and less time blogging... or rather, trying to maintain blog functionality.

Let's hope they don't change things on us again.

Have a lovely day!

We Love Our Pets

2007-02-23T09:50:00.000-06:00

...and we support a new bill protecting dogs and cats.

If you love dogs and cats, too, please go here

Please click on your state to find your Representative.

On their web page, there should be a contact form. Please write and ask your Rep to support H.R. 891. To read the text, you can go here and type in "H.R.891" (no quotes, no spaces).

If you would like more info, you can read about it here or in the news here. If you love animals and don't want the details, you can just take my word for it.

Thank you for getting involved!

Of Note For Dog Owners

Not only are chocolate, cocoa, onions, and macademia nuts dangerous to dogs, but so are grapes and raisins! Pass the word, please.

Confirmed at ASPCA.org (links directly to supporting article).

Confirmed at Snopes.com (links directly to supporting article).

Samson and Delilah say "Hi!"

Tuppinz Farm's 4th Generation Mini-LaMancha Goats At Seven Weeks

People wonder how we chose the kids' names. Samson is named for this guy, whom he resembles. Delilah just seemed to fit with Samson, though Jeff had initially wanted to name her "Skunk" because of her markings (wasn't gonna' happen, believe me.)

Hugs to all your furry friends today!

Random Acts of Kindness Week

2007-02-15T18:02:00.001-06:00

It is Random Acts of Kindness time:

RAK CELEBRATION DATES

2007
Random Acts of Kindness Week Feb. 12-18
World Kindness Week Nov. 12-18
World Kindness Day Nov. 13

Some ideas from The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation:

100 IDEAS FOR KINDNESS

1. Deliver fresh-baked cookies to city workers.
2. Collect goods for a food bank.
3. Bring flowers to work and share them with coworkers.
4. Garden clubs can make floral arrangements for senior centers, nursing homes, hospitals, police stations, or shut-ins.
5. Adopt a student who needs a friend, checking in periodically to see how things are going.
6. Volunteer to be a tutor in a school.
7. Extend a hand to someone in need. Give your full attention and simply listen.
8. Merchants can donate a percentage of receipts for the week to a special cause.
9. Bring coworkers a special treat.
10. Students can clean classrooms for the custodian.
11. Buy a stranger a free pizza.
12. Distribute lollipops to kids.
13. Sing at a nursing home.
14. Offer a couple of hours of baby-sitting to parents.
15. Slip paper hearts that say “It’s Random Acts of Kindness Week! Have a great day!” under the windshield wipers of parked cars.
16. Have a charity day at work, with employees bringing nonperishable food items to donate.
17. Serve refreshments to customers.
18. Draw names at school or work, and have people bring a small gift or food treat for their secret pal.
19. Remember the bereaved with phone calls, cards, plants, and food.
20. Treat someone to fresh fruit.
21. Pay a compliment at least once a day.
22. Call or visit a homebound person.
23. Hand out balloons to passersby.
24. Give free sodas to motorists.
25. Be a good neighbor. Take over a baked treat or stop by to say “Hello.”
26. Transport someone who can’t drive.
27. Mow a neighbor’s grass.
28. Say something nice to everyone you meet today.
29. Send a treat to a school or day-care center.
30. Volunteer at an agency that needs help.
31. Wipe rainwater off shopping carts or hold umbrellas for shoppers on the way to their cars.
32. Give the gift of your smile.
33. Send home a note telling parents something their child did well.
34. Adopt a homeless pet at the humane society.
35. Organize a scout troop or service club to help people with packages at the mall or grocery.
36. Host special programs or speakers at libraries or bookstores.
37. Offer to answer the phone for the school secretary for ten minutes.
38. Volunteer to read to students in the classroom.
39. Write notes of appreciation and bring flowers or goodies to teachers or other important people, such as the principal, nurse, custodian, and secretary.
40. Incorporate kindness into the curriculum at area schools, day care centers, or children’s classes in faith organizations.
41. Give a hug to a friend.
42. Tell your children why you love them.
43. Write a note to your mother/father and tell them why they are special.
44. Pat someone on the back.
45. Write a thank-you note to a mentor or someone who has influenced your life in a positive way.
46. Give coffee to people on their way to work in the morning.
47. Donate time at a senior center.
48. Give blood.
49. Visit hospitals with smiles, treats, and friendly conversation for patients.
50. Stop by a nursing home, and visit a resident with no family nearby.
51. Plant flowers in your neighbor’s flower box.
52. Give another driver your parking spot.
53. Leave a treat or handmade note of thanks for a delivery person or mail carrier.
54. Give free car washes.
55. Clean graffiti from neighborhood walls and buildings.
56. Tell your boss that you think he/she does a good job.
57. Tell your employees how much you appreciate their work.
58. Let your staff leave work an hour early.
59. Have a clean-up party in the park.
60. Tell a bus or taxi driver how much you appreciate their driving.
61. Have everyone in your office draw the name of a Random Acts of Kindness buddy out of a hat and do a kind act for their buddy that day or week.
62. Give a pair of tickets to a baseball game or concert to a stranger.
63. Leave an extra big tip for the waitperson.
64. Drop off a plant, cookies, or donuts to the police or fire department.
65. Open the door for another person.
66. Pay for the meal of the person behind you in the drive-through.
67. Write a note to the boss of someone who has helped you, praising the employee.
68. Leave a bouquet of flowers on the desk of a colleague at work with whom you don’t normally get along.
69. Call an estranged family member.
70. Volunteer to fix up an elderly couple’s home.
71. Pay for the person behind you in the movie line.
72. Give flowers to be delivered with meal delivery programs.
73. Give toys to the children at the shelter or safe house.
74. Give friends and family kindness coupons they can redeem for kind favors.
75. Be a friend to a new student or coworker.
76. Renew an old friendship by sending a letter or small gift to someone you haven’t talked with in a long time.
77. For one week, act on every single thought of generosity that arises spontaneously in your heart, and notice what happens as a consequence.
78. Offer to return a shopping cart to the store for someone loading a car.
79. Invite someone new over for dinner.
80. Buy a roll of brightly colored stickers and give them to children you meet during the day.
81. Write a card of thanks and leave it with your tip. Be sure to be specific in your thanks.
82. Let the person behind you in the grocery store go ahead of you in line.
83. When drivers try to merge into your lane, let them in with a wave and a smile.
84. Buy cold drinks for the people next to you at a ball game.
85. Distribute kindness bookmarks that you have made.
86. Create a craft project or build a bird house with a child.
87. Give a bag of groceries to a homeless person.
88. Laugh out loud often and share your smile generously.
89. Plant a tree in your neighborhood.
90. Make a list of things to do to bring more kindness into the world, and have a friend make a list. Exchange lists and do one item per day for a month.
91. Use an instant camera to take people’s photographs at a party or community event, and give the picture to them.
92. As you go about your day, pick up trash.
93. Send a letter to some former teachers, letting them know the difference they made in your life.
94. Send a gift anonymously to a friend.
95. Organize a clothing drive for a shelter.
96. Buy books for a day care or school.
97. Slip a $20 bill to a person who you know is having financial difficulty.
98. Take an acquaintance to dinner.
99. Offer to take a friend’s child to ball practice.
100. Waive late fees for the week.

Sunday Funnies

2007-02-11T12:10:00.001-06:00

Even during difficult times, if we only take a moment to look for it, a much-needed chuckle is just around the corner.

We have discovered that Frieda is, indeed, the reincarnation of George Washington:

Some things captivate us with their charm.

Even if they weren't useful, we'd want them around for the sheer joy they provide.

But when they are useful, so much the better!

When they are charming, useful, and unexpected - that's definitely worth a smile or two.

And what could this odd object be?

A wristwarmer for an alien? Nope, it's a swatch for Jeff's new sweater, converted mid-way from flat knitting to round knitting. It's a Reynolds Lopi design, knit in Blackberry Ridge Bulky... because temps of minus 20°F without including windchill are no laughing matter!

Hope you had a funny Sunday, too.

Pink Scarves Are Easy

2007-02-03T11:22:00.000-06:00

Doing a two-day walk to raise funds for breast cancer research is not.

Personally, I'd rather sit in my warm (ok, that's a debatable adjective at the moment, but still...) house, on my couch with my pups, drink a latte, and knit a pink scarf for charity. I like knitting. There's something for me involved in that process.

But train in the Boston-area climate for a two-day walk? Um, not so much my cuppa'.

So when someone like Denise does what I'm not willing to do - get off my doofus and do the hard work to make a real difference - I'm more than happy to continue to sit and knit and then SPONSOR HER in her fantastic efforts.

We can all make a pink scarf. It's actually fun to use that little extra cash in your checkbook for a trip to the LYS to get some yummy new yarn to knit something for charity.

But if you can think beyond the immediate gratification and the "something for me" in that endeavor, to "something for women everywhere" instead, please made tax-deductible contribution in order to help Denise meet her $1,800 entrance donation, won't you? She's willing to walk our talk.

Thanks!

Yes Indeedy, Some Fiber News

2007-02-01T11:06:00.000-06:00

UPDATE: "GoldAroma" spindles available for purchase NOW!

Final versions of the Golding Aromatherapy Spindles,
available here, though not yet listed.

There has indeed been some fibering occurring at Tuppinz Farm. It's been so cold that I've considered driving down the driveway to get the mail, but elected to stay inside with yarn many times instead. I've had more than usual unhappy news of late, and so I've grabbed the odd moments I could to use meditative creativity as a means of emotional support.

To that end, we now have some spinning news:

Shrek Renegade Merino fiber on Golding Aromatherapy prototype spindle.

I have seen the final models of the "GoldAromas" (as I call them), and they are gorgeous. I think they will be available soon... visit Golding Fiber Tools for more info. I have loved using these spindles - the added relaxation benefits from the aromatherapy oils wafting up as I spun were just what I needed. Thanks to the Goldings for bringing this idea to life for me! I love adventurous thinkers and those artists who are willing to give anything a shot.

Next we have a new spindle from The Spanish Peacock - haven't spun on it yet, but it's neat... top and bottom whorl in one! I also got two wood needles for making "toothbrush rugs" from them, and they're wonderful. They have lots of other fun stuff, so be sure to take a peek at the site - thanks to my friend Ann D. (you've seen her garments showcased in Spin-Off!) for letting me know about them.

Finally, here's my new Jenkins Amboyna Burl Spindle. Love it! Just bought a quilted maple low-profile weaving shuttle from them here, and it's wonderful as well.

In the knitting arena, I have needed "mindless" activity. My wonderful LYS had a Malabrigo scarf and mittens on display, and they were so richly colored and so cushy that I immediately bought the yarn and was provided with the patterns.

Malabrigo scarf from Yellow Dog Knitting.

In all the years I lived near Milwaukee, I don't think any yarn shop owner ever called me by name. In less than a month of moving near Eau Claire, Dixie and Cindi had made me feel like an old friend. Not only did they know my name, they knew my husband's! They're wonderful folks and I can see why Sue (from Spindlers) speaks so highly of them. Thanks for introducing me to them, Sue! (I think... how much have I spent there since moving here???)

I also ventured into beaded knitting with this pattern from EarthFaire (fantastic service and quick shipping):

Obviously, the kit with the purple Optimum DK came out much better than the second one I did in Koigu. I still need to thread in the ribbon ties and fill with something lovely like lavender buds. Yellow Dog Knitting had some cashmere yarn at an incredible price, so my next version will be truly luxurious.

I finished a meditation shawl I'd begun before we moved. It used six balls of Noro Kureyon in color 34. The pattern is just 57 sts. on a US 11 needle, then K3, P3 for three rows. Then switch to P3, K3 for three rows. And so on.

Dill thinks I should finish weaving in the loose ends.

A close-up of the pattern.

As far as the rest of my life, I am learning that resentment and anger occur if we do not expect the unexpected, and if we feel for some reason that things should always be just as we like them. I am also learning that reactions and thoughts are not reality - if I learn to notice them for what they are, I can choose to control both them and my responses to situations. This makes for a much calmer life.

My father was diagnosed with a very rare and incurable form of cancer the week before Christmas. He was told he had about two months to live. My father reacted to the news by throwing a big birthday party for himself. Thanks to my sister and her husband, I was able to "attend" via web conference. (Saints be praised for Apple iChat!)

Dad is providing a great example of experiencing a good death. He says he is "ready for his next big adventure". He has always lived his life by taking every risk and opportunity, and saying what he felt had to be said. He has no regrets.

I found this information very helpful in figuring out a way to deal with this news. Also of benefit to both me and my sister have been many dharma talks on death and dying from the Insight Meditation Center's AudioDharma (available as a podcast and as downloads).

Dilly cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism at about the same time we got the news about Dad. Dill was being treated with daily medication, but now his latest bloodwork indicates some liver damage that his thyroid condition was masking, so now he must also go on a renal diet. He is 15. My sister and my dear friend Pamela both lost cats to these illnesses earlier this year. If your cat loses weight suddenly (never a good thing in cats) and has an unkempt coat, get its thyroid levels checked. Also, look for a diet that has meat as the main ingredient - cats are true carnivores, and many health problems can be avoided by feeding them a low-carb or grain-free diet. We have also switched our dogs from Nutro to Canidae and are very pleased.

Dill Kitty

Jeff and I have felt for some time that there was an awful lot of bad juju in our house. The land has wonderful energy... but the house has really stinky karma and was making us both extremely blue. We ordered some new Chenrezig Tibetan prayer flags and waited for an auspicious day to raise them, and then, first thing on a frigid morning, we lit some Tibetan juniper incense and put them up. They're beautiful and we love to see them fluttering in the ~~sub-Arctic gales~~ breeze. We put them where the animals may benefit from the mantras printed on them also.

Probably the only barnyard with Tibetan prayer flags in the state of Wisconsin.
We're currently seeking someone to paint Buddha eyes on the silo,
similar to Swayambunath Stupa in Kathmandu.
Think we could get the Amish to do it?

Chenrezig is the Tibetan name for Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion, the current incarnation of whom (which?) is H.H. the Dalai Lama XIV.

I guess you can choose to see the glass as half empty, convince yourself that it is half full, or just see it without assigning an adjective to it, and accept it for what it is, and keep breathing. The only reality is this moment and the interconnectedness of all things within it. It is what it is... it is what it is... it is what it is...

I leave you with an easy crafty gift. This is from my mother-in-law and was made with a dishtowel, a washcloth, and a potholder (all of which you could knit or crochet, dear ones!) They are tied together with ribbon to make an angel:

Here is a close-up - hopefully you can figure out from this pic how to tie them all together:

May your day be full of unexpected blessings... and may you notice the magic of the simple moments before they pass.

All Creatures Great And Small

2007-01-21T18:35:00.000-06:00

We're still getting used to being ~~goatie parents~~ farmers. It's hard not to stop in our tracks while doing chores and just sit and watch the kids all day. They're now two weeks old and agile as monkeys, doing twists, leaps, flips, and even standing on their poor mama's back.

If you'd like to see some videos of them running around in baby goatie silliness, you can access them below; I'll list the sizes of the files:

1.4M

Here are a few movies of Jeff with the sheep and goats:

961k

656k

187k

We were all excited about playing James Herriot for the birth - I even had shoulder-length obstetric gloves at hand (a helpful friend told me that they were for cows, and I'd hardly need more than a dish glove if our Tulip needed assistance along the way. Oops! Anyone have an expecting cow?)

Luckily, Tulip handled everything herself, and we just assisted with a final toweling-off and blowdrying of the kids. To think that they survived that first night and at temperatures as low as -8°F since with just a heat lamp for warmth is amazing to us. What resilient creatures they are.

The kids are packing on the pounds, having doubled in weight since they were born. Here I am with chubby Samson. He has been disbudded (by a vet, under anesthesia - the same way he'll be neutered) to prevent his horns from growing (Delilah doesn't exhibit any horn growth so far):

The chickens are not neglected - Pavel (now known as Pavlova), our handicapped hen, races into the box stall area whenever I tend to Tulip and the kids. She knows she will be hand-fed there, to make eating with her crooked beak easier:

We've also been making friends with the sheep. Here I am with Gorgonzola, the leader of the sheep herd. She now enjoys being petted and we no longer have to use the crook to wrangle her for her weekly herbal worming.

In major life-changing news, the Dalai Lama is coming to Madison soon! I missed a previous opportunity to hear him speak; I won't miss this one. Jeff and I will attend on separate days, as farmers don't seem to get vacation days...

Despite all the activity in the barn, things are very quiet up here in our new home. This is the view from the window next to the computer where I'm writing this note:

I'm currently working on a purple and green meditation shawl in Noro Kureyon, in a K3P3 stitch that changes every three rows to P3K3, forming little boxes. I'm now off to brew some genmaicha tea, light some incense, and sit down to work on it for a bit while Jeff is absorbed in football. Hope some quiet fibering time is on your agenda as well!

P.S. If you like genmaicha tea, the link above is to the best, freshest stuff you'll ever taste, with no tiny broken bits of dust. It tastes like popcorn - very sweet for a green tea - and Jeff and I drink pots of it in the winter. We used to get it in Milwaukee at Outpost, and I was happy to find I can mailorder it directly. If only I could get sushi by UPS, I'd be all set.

Holey Moley - Twins!

2007-01-07T01:07:00.000-06:00

We didn't expect the new arrivals until the 11th, so imagine Jeff's surprise when he went out to tend to the animals for the night and found THESE!

Tulip and Kids, born 1/6/06 at approximately 8 p.m.

Buckling on left, Doeling on right.

Doeling on left, Buckling on right.

Buckling

Tulip and Doeling

Happy Goatie Family!

Visions Of Sugarplums...

2006-12-25T00:17:00.000-06:00

Emmentaler "Emma" Rosalinda Fiona W.'s First Christmas

Peace on Earth, good will toward all sentient beings.

Grateful For...

2006-12-24T18:32:00.000-06:00

UPDATE!

Breaking News - Aromatherapy Spindles!

I just got word about an exciting new development, unique in all of Spindledom! If you're a member of the Spindlers Yahoo! Group, you know that at long last a spindle maker has hearkened to my plea for an aromatherapy spindle. Who rose to the occasion? In just a matter of days?

Click the spindle pics to find out (if you can't already tell from the design):

Prototype 3.5" Butternut Whorl, 2 oz

Prototype 2.75" Cherry Whorl, 1.4 oz.

The shaft on this model does not extend fully into the cup.
Instead, the hook has a longer base to make room for more
cotton on which to place the oil.

Place your essential oils of choice onto a bit of cotton in the center chamber. As you spin your fiber, the fan blades channel air towards the chamber and on up to surround you in scented bliss. Now spindling can be even more relaxing (or invigorating) as a daily part of meditative self-care!

I can't wait to try out the prototypes - I think they're brilliant! I'll be testing them with a holiday blend of pine, orange, and clove oils. I'm told just three drops is enough to scent the room!

My Midnight Sky Spindle

This is my holiday gift from Chef Jeff. It is amazing and I absolutely adore it.

There was a big tree outside the bedroom of our old house, and there were often owls hoo-hooing in it at night. I love owls and would frequently get out of bed and go to the window to watch them. When we moved here to the farm, I was pleased to find another great big tree just outside our bedroom, and I enjoy seeing the moonlight shining through the branches (we still don't have curtains!)

I had thought the design of this spindle beautiful ever since it came out, and the way it tied together images of the old and new in my life, well, that made me want it all the more.

A quick check with spindling buds - "Is it worth the price?" - resulted in many emphatic "Yes!"-es, and upon seeing a pic of it, Jeff said, "Get it!", so I did.

Boy, am I ever glad! It spins like a dream, and the woodcarving is beautiful on both the front and the back of the whorl. The "grips" in the shaft give me really good "traction" so that I can get the same spinning speed with a finger twist as with a thigh roll without the added effort. I'm spinning foot-long Shrek merino fiber on it now - not an easy feat, but the spindle is making a fantastic laceweight yarn as if by magic. The Goldings also provided wonderful and personal customer service and the spindle was here very quickly. I can't say enough good things about the Goldings and this gift!

Spinning Trivia: The Goldings' son Obe is the banjo-picker in the photo on this page!

My Uniform

Amanda asked about daily uniforms. Here is mine. I just pull it on over whatever I'm wearing whenever I have to go out to the barn to gather eggs or put out hay. I discovered the necessity for Rosie's after getting frustrated at bringing bits of hay into the house all over my CampMor fleece pants and tops (I live in outdoor clothing, inside. It is freezing up here!)

Christmas Music

I found the Christmas CDs - finally - today. They were all in a box right next to my computer, which is what I use to listen to them. How funny that they were right here, all together and waiting for me, rather than in the giant pile of newly-unboxed CDs upstairs. Yay! Whenever I can't find something, I stop looking and ask for guidance instead of driving myself crazy. The lost item always appears within 24 hours. Give it a try! Just like making donations when you feel a financial lack, it is guaranteed to free up the flow of good energy.

There is nothing - and I mean nothing - like listening to "The Holly and the Ivy" by the Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge - I don't care what winter holiday you celebrate. Christmas Carols from St. John's is the best holiday CD, ever. The Magic Of Christmas is a close second. But you can't possibly have Christmas without this.

The Royal Podcast

Listen to the Queen's Christmas message on your iPod!

An Open-Minded Spouse

I don't know many spouses who would not give an immediate "No!" to the idea of this. All he wants to know is, "Is it spinnable?" Be sure to see the baby pics!

Not Fixing Up The House

Today I am grateful that we didn't spend any time painting the house and trying to make it nice when we moved in. I'm glad we focused on the barn and getting the animals established as we did. This, after whining to my husband about the fuchsia paint upstairs for months. Why am I glad about this? Because the house is probably going to have to be torn down. The third architecht and the fifth contractor to tell us so (unasked; thank you very much) were here this week. See? It was good we didn't waste any time and effort on decorating, and I'm glad we heard this before going ahead with replumbing the whole building, as is being required by the State.

Xanax

See paragraph above.

Chestnuts

Having gotten Chef Jeff the gift of a chestnut roaster (the dude is addicted to chestnuts, I tell you, but they keep getting incinerated in the fireplace), I was shocked to discover that all of the chestnuts previously available in food stores had disappeared. Nope, all they have is frozen lutefisk up here. Looking online, all the chestnut growers were sold out! I finally discovered some at Earthy Delights, they shipped them immediately, and the wonderful UPS Guy walked them up the snowy driveway yesterday, just in time. I love the Boys In Brown! I gave him a dozen "Martha Stewart" (Araucana) eggs, but somehow, that sure doesn't seem like enough.

Happy winter holidays to all, and to all, a good night! May you dream of sugarplums and snowy forests; may your plates and hearts be full; may you be cozy and comfortable, now and in the new year. May you see the bright side of any adversity that comes your way, or at least be content in accepting things as they are. Hugs to you and thanks for visiting, for your comments, and for your friendship!

Holiday Prep Continues

2006-11-27T09:51:00.000-06:00

I just may finish handmade gifts for the holidays with my new loom! Here is another Noro Silk Garden scarf. This time, I played with weft floats using a pickup stick, after watching "Rigid Heddle Weaving" with Betty Davenport. It's a great film - lots of useful tips that I hadn't come across in books.

I ran out of the yarn I was using, so I finished with the Noro from the previous scarf I'd made. Luckily the colors were similar. That's what I get for trying to use a wider warp and not have any leftovers... I sure didn't! I won't try to be quite so frugal next time (a nice-sized scarf can be made with two balls of Noro, BTW).

Here is a close-up of the floats:

Scarf hasn't been fulled yet - edges look a bit weird.

I love doing a scarf a day. The warping is quick and easy, the weaving is relaxing, and I even have time for socknitting. Hopefully now I will make a dent in my yarn stash (which looks really sinful, now that it is all lined up in Rubbermaid tubs in a barn. Some day I may be brave and show you a picture if you promise not to think I'm crazy, as my mother and mother-in-law now do after helping me arrange it all.)

Does anyone have a really good illustration/description of hemstitching? Every time I've read about it or seen it done, it's been different... and I can't come across a version that I can memorize. Please let me know.

My friend Di, back in Milwaukee, emailed a photo of the Tiger Woods afghan she knit for her nephew. She has only been knitting a short time, and she created a graph for this all by herself from a photo. She backed this with some fleece fabric printed with the UW-Wisconsin logo. Nice job, Di!

Grateful for...

Closets! Jeff installed a rod in one closet, and cedar shelves in another, and I finally have someplace to put my clothes, which have been living in piles in the bedroom. The cedar shelves were not expensive and were easy to make... I'm thinking some yarn stash storage space might be in the offing as well...?

Goats that take their herbal wormer like it was chocolate.

Fireplaces.

Selling a dozen eggs from the cooler at the end of my driveway.

Hubby going back to work today after being underfoot for four days!

Stasia's Gaugeless Toe-Up Sock Pattern

2006-11-26T13:40:00.000-06:00

Jane asked me to update my toe-up sock pattern which I hadn't transferred from our old server. Here is a quick, down and dirty version of the pattern for those who need to make last-minute holiday gifts.

These socks can be made with any yarn, in any gauge... all you need to know is the length of the recipient's foot (though the length around their instep and/or ankle is helpful. In a pinch, have them hold a ruler under the ball of their foot, and double that number for the "around" measurement.) Socks are forgiving and don't need to be exact, especially if done in ribbing on the top side of the foot and the entire ankle.

Please let me know of any errors you find. Thanks!

Stasia's Gaugeless, Toe-Up , Short-Row Heel Sock Pattern

Note the neat heel effect using self-patterning yarn.

If you're knitting these for yourself, you can try them on as you go to ensure a perfect fit. If you're making these for someone else, remember that feet are typically square; i.e., a foot which is 9" in circumference at the instep is usually 9" long. This will help you if someone asks you to make socks for their foot and they can give you their foot length in inches.

This method will work for felted booties as well... just add 15-20% to the width, and 25-40% to the length. I'm currently doing a pair of these on Size US 3 needles in Manos del Uruguay.

Measure around your subject's ankle, and then around the middle (instep) of foot. Again, these measurements should be the same (on me, they are both 9"). This we will call "100%."

Casting On: Sock needles should be appropriate to yarn used, to knit a VERY dense fabric. Sizes 0 to 4 (US) are usually good - 0 for fingering, 4 for very thick worsted; your mileage may vary, so just use needles a couple of sizes smaller than you would for knitting a sweater from the same yarn. I aim for at least 7 stitches to the inch and I use a set of 5 DPNs - Size US 0/2.0 mm with a typical sock yarn like Lorna's Laces or Regia. For a thick, worsted-weight sock made from something like Noro Kureyon, I will use Size US 5 or 6 needles.

This method works just fine for socks knit on two circular needles; just remember my increase/decrease directions ("...on each needle...") assume four working DPNs, with a fifth for knitting, are being used.

Using the long-tail method, cast on .25 to .5" worth of stitches for a child's sock, 1 to 1.5" worth of stitches for an adult woman's sock, or 1.5 to 2" worth of stitches for an adult man's sock.

I've found a new cast-on method for the toe which I really like. Here is my own little "cheat sheet" for my own socks:

Foot: Increase four stitches (one each needle) every OTHER row until when you you have 95% of the 100% inch number you initially measured. (You can measure this by laying the sock "flat" so that only the instep stitches are facing you, and taking a ruler and measuring the width of the last row. Multiply that measurement by 2 - to take into account the other side of the sock - and if this measurement equals 95% of your original 100%, you can stop increasing and knit plain rounds.) You increase to 95% and not 100% because you want the sock to fit snugly, and they will stretch a little bit to accommodate your 100%.

Stitches should be increased at both sides of the sock - one stitch on each side of the sock top (instep), and one stitch on each side of the sock bottom (sole) - which totals four stitch increases per round. The should be increased every OTHER round. The increases will show as two stitches almost adjacent to each other, on each side of the foot (again, four stitches total per increase round).

I make my increases on the second stitch and second-to-last stitch on the top side and bottom side of the sock - one stitch in from the edges, for a smoother finish.

Note: After the increases are completed, you may wish to incorporate a pattern on the instep (top) side of the sock, such as a K2 P2 rib.

Optional:After continuing to knit past ball of foot (which should be about 45% of the total length required), decrease one stitch on each needle (4 sts.), at sides of foot where the increases had taken place before. This will ensure a very smooth fit, so your socks won't bunch up in clogs. Do NOT do for wide feet.

Continue knitting until sock measures about 2 to 2.5" shorter than total length required, or until it is just short of the round ankle bone on the outer edge of your foot. Shorter is better than longer, as the sock will stretch when worn:

Begin Heel: I use an adaptation of Priscilla Gibson-Roberts' Yarnover, Short-Row type heel; see Interweave Knits, Fall, 2000; p. 77.

Work heel over 1/2 the total stitches ( or over 3/4 if you have a high instep). Heel may also be done in all garter stitch. In this case, do regular YOs - NOT backwards ones.

Decreasing Up The Base Of The Heel To The Heel Midpoint:
1) K to 1 st. before end, turn.
2) YO backwards on to RH needle (back under needle, over top, to front.), P across to 1 st. before end, turn.
3) YO, K to last 3 sts. (paired sts. and end st.); don't knit them, but turn.
4) YO backwards, P to last 3 sts. (paired sts. and end st.), don't purl them, but turn. Repeat row 3.

Repeat, knitting up to, but not working, the last paired sts. of the previous row, until you've decreased down to 10 to 15% of the total stitches you had in a round - 10% if you have a narrow heel, 15% if yours is standard. End with RS row, but don't turn.

Increasing On Up To The Top Of The Heel To Begin The Ankle:
1) K1 (1st st. of pair), correct mount of the YO (you won't have to do this if you knit Eastern Uncrossed style as I do), K2tog. (yo plus 1st st. of next pair), turn.
2) (WS) YO backwards, P to paired st. made by yo of previous row, P 1st st. of pair, SSP the yo with 1st st. of next pair (again, you won't have to correct the mount if you knit Eastern Uncrossed style - just P2tog.), turn.
3) YO, K to paired st. made by yo on previous row, K 1st st. Next sts. should be 2 yo's - K3tog., turn.
4) YO backwards, P to next yo's (should be 2 in a row), SSSP (3 tog. - 2 YO's with 1st st. of next pair), turn.
5) YO, K to next yo, correct mount of 2 yo's, K3tog., turn.

Repeat last 2 rows, end w/row 4 (WS). Last turn brings RS facing. Do NOT go on to include instep stitches in wraps.

Increasing notes: On 1st two ROWS of increases, you'll end with a (K or P) 2 tog., to set up the format; then you'll turn and YO.

On the 3rd, 4th and consecutive rows, each row will end with you taking 2 yo's, along with the 1st st. of the next pair, in a K or P 3 tog, then turn and YO.

Since on the decreasing you went all the way to the end, on the increasing you will combine the final yo's with the first and last instep stitches to prevent holes on those corners; i.e., pick up a stitch using a lifted increase, twist it, and combine it with stitches at either side of the instep, in the first complete round, to eliminate holes that might appear between heel and instep stitches.

Work ankle until, not including heel, it is as long as the foot (fold sock in half; toe to heel and ankle to heel should be the same lengths). Do final inch in K1P1 rib; or, after 1" of plain stockinette, you could do the entire ankle in K2P2 rib; or, do majority of ankle in K4P1 rib and end at top with K1P1 ribbing for an inch (or not!) If you use K2P2 throughout, you can fold the top down; you could also crochet an edging on the very top.

Binding Off: I use "Peggy's Stretchy Bind-off for Toe-Up Socks" which is found here at the Socknitters site:

"If you are knitting a K1, P1 ribbing, on the row before the bind-off row: K1, M1 ("make one" by making a half-hitch loop, not by picking up the in-between thread), pull the M1 tight, P1.

"Repeat around. Bind off row (go up a needle size or two): K1, slip the M1, pass the K1 over the slipped M1, P1, pass the slipped M1 over the P1, K1, pass the P1 over, etc. as for a regular bind off.

"If you are knitting a K2, P2 ribbing, on the row before the bind-off row: K2, M1, P2, M1.

"Repeat around. Do a regular bind off, as above, remembering to slip the M1 rather than knitting it. The M1 is never actually knit, so it doesn't make a stitch which will add bulk to the top of your cuff; it simply creates an extra loop in your chain bind off."

Congratulations on your toe-up socks! Please let me know how you did!

To Give Or To Receive

2006-11-24T18:05:00.000-06:00

Gift Book

I just got a copy of this, and it's great - a good gift for a crafting friend, or to put on your own holiday wish list:

It's full of projects that you'd actually like to receive - lots of different techniques, varying yarn weights, and cool ideas.

I also just received an order from Little Knits. This book is, I believe, out of print. I know I'll never make anything out of it, but I love the folkloric "Heidi" designs. Who knows, maybe I can tackle some of the socks. Perhaps it is being a new goat owner... but the lure of the Alps was irresistible.

Although I had to order Little Knits' minimum of $25 to get the book, they actually emailed to tell me that they had recalculated my shipping charges to save me money from what I was originally quoted at the online shop. Got to love that! I chose some Wool In The Woods sock yarn to make up the difference in price.

Although they don't carry the book, you can see pics of all the patterns in it here.

Around Here On A Holiday...

... we have a long and leggy Emma lounging:

... we have too many eggs from our chickens and ducks, who seem to be in super-production mode:

... and we have a nice view from the kitchen window, after rotating the Premiere E'Net pasture yesterday:

We are also having (a day late - we had farm work to tackle yesterday!) our free range, organic turkey from our friends at Coon Creek Family Farm. One thing I am especially grateful for in our move to a smaller town is the abundance of organic producers in the area.

One thing I am not grateful for is that Eau Claire, unlike Milwaukee, completely shuts down on holidays. We expected our favorite Chinese or Indian restaurants to be open yesterday, but the entire city was a ghost town, and the only place we could eat was in a hotel. Not even McDonald's was open. In Milwaukee, everything stayed open, even on Christmas. Well, I guess it's nice that people up here get the day of to spend with their families or go hunting (the schools here let the kids off for hunting today if need be - I kid you not.)

Hope you are having a great holiday weekend filled with the things you enjoy most!

Thanks And Thoughts

2006-11-22T11:45:00.000-06:00

Thankful For...

...peace and quiet:

Thoughts... (MEME)

You. Can. Only. Type. One. Word.

No. Explanations.

1. Yourself: tired

2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend (spouse): trouble

3. Your hair: flat

4. Your mother: vacant

5. Your father: cancer

6. Your favorite item: spindle

7. Your dream last night: worry

8. Your favorite drink: wine

9. Your dream car: Mustang

10. The room you are in: windows

11. Your ex: thankful

12. Your fear: pain

13. What you want to be in 10 years? free

14. Who you hung out with last night? dogs

15. What you're not? focused

16. Muffins: orange

17. One of your wish list items: time

18. Time: fast

19. The last thing you did: searched

20. What you are wearing: warm

21. Your favorite weather: warm

22. Your favorite book: Shakespeare

23. The last thing you ate: veggieburger

24. Your life: adrift

25. Your mood: wary

26. Your best friend: online

27. What are you thinking about right now? delivery

28. Your car: worrisome

29. What are you doing at the moment? Emmasitting

30. Your summer: hopeful

31. Your relationship status: tied

32. What is on your TV? sweetgrass

33. What is the weather like? sunny

34. When is the last time you laughed? Emma

Speed Demon

2006-11-18T23:10:00.000-06:00

Lest you think my new Knitter's Loom is going to end up out in storage in the barn, with the Big Scary Looms...

Emma and Val Snoozing
(The ugly chair is inherited; we've
never bought new stuff, as we've always had dogs
and they've all loved that chair!)

What a lovely way to spend an afternoon - the pups snoring away, a toasty fire crackling nearby, ~~DH out freezing his behind off in a deer blind~~, and a warp that goes on in minutes, not hours (like on the Big Scary Looms, which require a crazy warping board and calculations that make me nuts!)

All warped up and ready to go. The yarn is Noro Silk Garden. I don't know the color number, because Emma chewed up the ballband. Warping this loom might be fast, but Emma's teeth are faster than anything. She is like some kind of toothy superhero... Dogzilla, ready to gnaw craft supplies to smithereens in seconds! (Val calls her an interloper. Tori calls her "Jaws". They are both so very patient.)

And a very short and relaxing time later, we have:

Tori ~~Recovering From A Day With Emma~~ Ignoring The Excitement

Et voila! C'est finis!

Husbands, Take Note

2006-11-18T08:50:00.000-06:00

Gentlemen, when your wives have an emergency situation with a dog-destroyed doublepoint, and they ask you to please stop at the LYS to pick up a replacement, you have two options.

The first is to go along and do it; your wife will call ahead, the item will be waiting at the counter, the staff will oooh and aaah about what a sweetie pie you are, and you'll be rewarded with a big smile when you get home.

The second option is to say, "I'm waaaay too busy being Mr. Important in a suit to stop in there, even though I drive right by; why don't you just go out in the icky weather and drive all the way into the city - in-between following the puppy around all day to keep the cat out of its mouth, wallowing in mud to refill the water for the chickens I wanted now rather than in the spring, and finding all my packed-away stuff for deer hunting - which, by the way, opens tomorrow... so remember, you'll be on your own for the weekend with the dogs, ducks, and geese."

If your wife is like me, she will not respond to the latter choice with anger. She will say, "Why sure, honey, what a great idea!"

...and will come home with not only the replacement knitting needles (which would have cost you, Mr. Wonderful, less than $10), but perhaps all of this:

Loot a la Yellow Dog Knitting, Eau Claire, WI

The gals at Yellow Dog Knitting were wonderfully helpful. I got to meet longtime online pal Sue there, quite by fortuitous accident, and was introduced to Cindy and Dixie who welcomed me to the area and promised to visit Tuppinz Farm soon. They're all very fun and creative people, and I can't wait to visit with them again at Knit Night at Borders this week!

When we got the "Emba Doba", my father-in-law said, "You don't want to rescue a Doberman! They're mean, vicious dogs!"

Vicious Emma Beastie By Fire

Yeah... right. Mean. Vicious. Ferocious. And I've got the dog spit constantly all over my face from her kisses to prove it.

Off to play with yarns and a wonderfully small (and manageable - and foldable!) loom in front of the fire, while DH sits in a tiny tent on a windy hilltop at 4 a.m. in the freezing cold. (Serves him right.)

Men!

Today At Tuppinz...

2006-11-16T15:00:00.000-06:00

...we find:

Lots of ugly mud, and no more "front yard", due to the new well digging. You'd think the contractors would have checked to see that we had an extra electric circuit available for the pump before they put the whole thing in, but they didn't (and we didn't);

Broken Brittanys thanks to a teething Doberman (socks are in Noro Kureyon, yarn is from Yellow Dog Knitting);

A "male and female" pair of Toulouse geese, which have turned out to be a "male and male" instead.

We got eight to ten inches of snow in about two hours this past weekend, but most of it has melted now. I'm about to rename the place "Bleak House".

Well, there's a fire in the fireplace, and there are more knitting needles - somewhere, so I'm off to knit for a bit. That ought to cheer me up! If that doesn't, this usually does:

Feeding Time

A happy little barnyard.

Fun Stuff

2006-11-14T21:28:00.000-06:00

Yippee! Lookie what I got!

Thanks, Carrie Anne! Was anyone else a teenager in the 80s, and do you remember the pins we used to collect? The Who, The Mods... I wanted to be a Mod because, of course, Sting was a mod... Anything with a Union Jack on it, and I was in heaven. I'll be wearing this to a fibery get-together this week - I'm venturing out to meet some of the locals (hi Sue and Dianne!)

Have you seen the latest issue of The Wheel? There's so much inspiring stuff in here, I may just get a loom out of the barn! Great issue.

Our friends Deloras and Dave - the breeders of our Jacob ewe lambs - came for dinner the other night. What was on the menu? Um... Jacob lamb, Indian style (Chef Jeff excelled, as usual!) Deloras brought some pics of some of her felted masks, as I'd asked her if I could share them with you. These are made with wool from her Jacob and Navajo-Churro sheep:

You should see her rugs! She does offer her wares for sale - if interested, email me and I'll put you in touch with her. She also has rare breed handspun yarn and fiber available.

We have one duck that consistently lays double-yolk eggs. Here is one, compared with a standard duck egg:

The ducks are such prolific layers that I've taken to pawning dozens off on the UPS man when he makes deliveries. They taste just like chicken (eggs).

Tulip says hello:

Emma always has to lie on someone else to sleep:

... unless she is in the middle:

Did you see what Claudia got???

Have a great day!

Apologies!

2006-11-10T15:35:00.000-06:00

Apologies to all who have left comments since July; I didn't receive them until today, when I thought to change my Haloscan email forwarding. Thank you for visiting and commenting - I wasn't ignoring you on purpose!

Way Too Tired To Blog

2006-11-07T23:10:00.000-06:00

It's really no surprise I haven't done anything fibery for the past three months...

Emma arrived...

...and grew...

...and is still growing (much to Val's annoyance)...

We got some farm pets...

...and some more...

Does anyone else see a striking resemblance here?

Got to go scrub poop off my Birks. Not a bad thing... not at all.

All Moved In

2006-09-06T17:40:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Hard to believe we've already been at Tuppinz Farm for a month.

The moving dust has cleared a bit, only to be replaced by barnyard dust. I "enjoyed" a trip to the ER, our boy Chester crossed the Rainbow Bridge peacefully, my in-laws and my mother came for a weekend (at the same time - they were extremely helpful but I had to work very, very hard to keep up with them), we had the electrical wiring and a toilet replaced, and the house leans at a severe angle. If Valentine leaves a tennis ball on the floor on one end, it'll roll down to the other. Did I mention our antique, claw-foot bathtub came with only three feet?

One good thing about moving is that you can eat an entire pizza by yourself every day and still lose weight. Trust me.

This about describes my fiber life of late:

That would be the high-speed whorl of my Ashford Scholar, a wonderful wheel that's no longer in production. What's wrong with this picture? The movers must have lifted the wheel by the flyer alone - they sheared the pin of the whorl, which goes into the bearing on the right of the picture, right off, ruining both whorl and bearing. Again - this wheel is no longer being made! (And this was the one spinning wheel they actually put in a box - it's amazing the others survived at all; one arrived Saran-wrapped.)

Enter this wonderful woman:

That's the lovely Elizabeth Ashford, my hero. I sent off a frantic email to Ashford, pleading that they search the back corners of their warehouse for the odd Scholar whorl that may have rolled off into a corner. My worries were needless, as my prior experiences with Ashford should have reminded me: Elizabeth soothingly replied that they had my parts right at hand and she'd pop them in the mail. They arrived in less than a week, to my great relief.

New spinners often ask for advice on purchasing a wheel. Here is my advice, after over ten years' experience with various wheels and manufacturers: get a wheel for which you can easily get replacement parts, from a company with excellent customer service and educational support. The maker that rates tops for me in those categories, as well as for value, construction, and ease of use, is definitely Ashford. (Don't confuse them with that other "down under" maker, with whom I have experienced terrible customer service - not only towards me, but also to their poor distributor who sold me two wheels which both had to be returned due to major design flaws - the wheel has since been redesigned, but at the time they refused to acknowledge my concerns.)

There is a reason I have kept my Ashford Scholar and Ashford Traveller, despite adding to my wheel collection: they are sturdy workhorses. When I want to spin at a wheel that doesn't require a period of reacquaintance and fiddling and resulting temper tantrums on my part, I pick these.

Once I knew my Scholar was safe, I had a moment to enjoy the view from my back yard. What do you think?

This is a common sight in these parts. I'm getting rather used to observing a 16 m.p.h. speed limit:

An Amish Buggy

This gives a whole new meaning to the question, "Why did the chicken cross the road?"

Wild Turkeys

Despite all the stress of the move and discovering that my house has no garbage disposal or storm windows, there are plenty of things to be happy about. There is a sheep barn and a chicken coop! We're converting the 100 year-old granary, which is sound and snug, to house them (it's less work than dealing with the house's concerns, one of which is a very peculiar odor that comes up the bathroom sink whenever I do laundry. A vinegar and baking soda volcano had no effect on it.)

The chickens have arrived, baby chicks are coming from McMurray Hatchery vis USPS this week - nowadays you can get anything online. The chickens pictured are adults and were a gift from my friend, Nancy Frank.

Chef Jeff in the coop with the flock.

Our two Amish ducks (a Buff and a Khaki Campbell) and my favorite chicken, Azteca (she looks pre-Columbian, don't you think?)

The big guy on the right is our rooster, Ali Baba.

My beautiful Shetland ewe lambs have been reserved and will be delivered by Lael from Maplewood North (home of the famous Sparx) as soon a proper fencing, feed, and housing are all in order. If you are going to the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival in Jefferson this coming weekend, be sure to say hi if you see Lael there! Also, check out the Midwest Shetland Sheep Breeders Show. Sadly, I cannot make it. :-(

This year's babies were all named for cheeses. Meet my soon-to-be fiberpets...

Ricotta

Fontina

and Cantal

Ricotta's sire is Maplewood Onix:

Fontina's and Cantal's sire is Maplewood Garlic:

I can hardly believe I am actually going to have sheep!!!

I'm sorry for not updating in so long, and I hope that you are well and happy! I must dash to the farm store for a manure fork. What an exciting life I lead...

Yarn, Yarn Everywhere And Not A Minute To Knit

2006-06-25T13:58:00.000-05:00

Hi! How are you? I really would like to know, so do leave a comment if you're so inclined! Thanks for stopping by.

Before I get to anything else, a quick "ad" for a good friend: Lael has Shetland fleeces available, and lamb pictures. Go thither and be tempted!

Moving is a crazy business, and house showings really stink. How is a girl to get any knitting done when she has to keep her sink perpetually clean? Between cutting the grass, weeding the garden, picking up dog poop, and hollering, "Put it DOWN, put it DOWN!" at DH every time he touches a guest towel, I'm not getting much knitting in. Is it any wonder I'm resorting to gin and tonics as a means to sanity?

I am now faced with the possibility that I will get to enjoy the process of having a septic system installed yet again. What fun. Perhaps the stress of this accounts for the fact that the Shelridge Farm sock yarn I just purchased bears a striking resemblance to the fiber I just spun. Separated at birth?

I obviously wasn't focused when I bought it (or was perhaps a little too focused on this color scheme.) But it is lovely and soft and very worth the price so I'm not sorry, not one bit.

However, in addition to not being able to focus on colors-already-in-the-stash, I couldn't find an appropriate project for this yarn. I was worried about pooling, though I needn't have been - more on that in a minute. After having friends explain to me why the Jaywalker pattern really would work out if I knit it, despite my inability to add up the stitches in the lace pattern correctly...

This is what I'm coming up with:
k-f/b = 2 sts
k7 = 7
dd = -2
k7 = 7
k-f/b= 2
------------
Total: 16 sts. - should be 19!

And the ever-knowledgeable Halla wrote:

Let's watch it as we do it:

k-f/b= 2 stitches on right needle, 18 on left
k7= 9 stitches on right needle, 11 on left
DD= 10 stitches on right needle, 8 on left
k7= 17 on right needle, 1 on left
k-f/b = 19 on right needle

And she was correct, of course, but by that time I was right off those...

... I decided on something simpler - the Faux Cable pattern from "Socks Socks Socks".

No pooling - look at the lovely short color repeats in the strand.

Unfortunately, the pattern repeats over 18 stitches, and because I changed the pattern to have two cables on the instep instead of one, this made for a very wide sock that was never going to fit me. And then I felt guilty for knitting for me instead of for charity, anyway. In a crabby fit I ripped it and the yarn is now marinating in the stash, likely to appear later in a simple stockinette or ribbed sock, as the pooling is no longer a concern.

Speaking of not pooling, look at the new handpainted Painted Toes sock yarns I scored from The Knotty Sheep! I just know I will have better luck with these, and I can't wait to cast on.

Right now, I'm working on a "simple" Storm Water shawl in SeaSilk from Colorsong Yarns (great service, shipping, and selection!) For anyone who has listened to the fabulous KnitCast, you may think that SeaSilk smells like seaweed or the ocean or even fish. It doesn't. It smells like silk. That is just how plain old silk smells. I was really looking forward to imagining the salt sea spray as I knit with it, but I'm going to have to "make do" with the gorgeous sheen, wonderful smoothness, and incredible Hand Maiden colors (there's more of a deep purple to these than my camera picked up):

SeaSilk Yarn & Storm Water Shawl Pattern
From Colorsong Yarns

One Ball Wound

I said that the shawl was "simple" - it's supposed to be. For me, with my moving mentality, not so much... Depends on the day, really, and how much ~~gin~~ rest I've had. Anyone else would find it a piece of cake. But memorize the pattern after a couple of repeats? Definitely not me, darn it! That's ok - it's easy to follow.

However, I should have read the pattern through before I wound one skein into a ball and sat down, ready to cast on, because the instructions alternate yarns from two balls at once! You knit across row one with one yarn, then knit the same direction with the second yarn, then turn your work and knit back with one yarn and then the other. This mixes up the colors in the hand dyed fiber very nicely. And contrary to my first thought, it does not make for tangles. It does make for a seriously non-portable project, however... You'll want to keep your balls from collapsing in this way (suggested by my friends Denise and Nan):

Don't moosh your lace balls - keep them in a bowl. Put paper tubes in the centers to keep them from collapsing. And for this shawl pattern, label the balls One and Two!

It's going slowly but well. I will tell you now that if you use markers, you will have to shift them by one stitch every once in a while (eight rows, maybe?), as the pattern repeat changes to angle the other way - don't let it freak you out. Actually, you probably don't get freaked out by things like that - it's just me, isn't it?

I'd better cast on some of that Painted Toes sock yarn quick so that I have one portable project to take with me if I have a house showing meltdown and need to jump in the car for a quick getaway, because I'm certainly not carting this bowl around. (Of course, one can't drink gin in the car.)

So, getting back to podcasts, you must check out the BritKnitCast!

I became a bit bored when many of the fiberarts podcasts suddenly became promotions for other fiberarts podcasts and their own shows (it seemed that one week the whole circuit was playing each others' ads for the full first ten minutes). How many times could they all chat about the same new online projects or the latest must-haves to hit the market? Finally, when a few provided faulty advice as if it were factual research, that did it for me, and I unsubbed from most of them. Not that I'm not glad they gave it a shot, but maybe if someone doesn't have something original and/or positive to say, they shouldn't be posting a new podcast every two weeks until they do (that's my excuse, anyway!)

The KnitCast was the original and it still tops my list, and Marie's been incredibly generous to promote those who've stolen her thunder, her ideas, and (therefore, perhaps) any financial contributions that may have resulted from her listeners. I've got the EatFeed and Rick Steeves for other iPod fare, anyway. It doesn't have to be all knitting, all the time, right? (Right???)

Well, for something completely different from all the other knitting podcasts that try to imitate (or intimidate) instead of originate, give Carrie Anne's a listen. She takes us into her felting workshop as a bunch of friendly, creative women discuss fiberarts and creativity, stabbing with their felting needles all the while. The fact that most of them sound just like Wendolene from Wallace & Gromit is sweet and comical to this Yank. Carrie Anne is a natural - she's upbeat, positive, energetic, edits well, and is obviously into many different art forms. Though her recordings are definitely low-tech, it adds so much to the charm of them, and I wouldn't change a thing. Give her a listen!

Special shout-out to Nichole.... I'M WORKING ON IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

In other knitting-related news, it seems that our beloved Targét (also knows as the $100 store, because even if you go in for mouthwash, you will end up spending $100... in the 90s it used to be the $75 store, but of course we're now in the aughts) is finally jumping on the knitting bandwagon, with adorable little knitting gift kits, featuring CD-ROMS, for new knitters. Val approves of this doggie toy knit this kit which I picked up for my Rubbermaid Tub O'Potential Holiday Gifts:

Under $10, and you get everything you need to make a tug toy for Rover. How cool is that? Go stock up and you won't have to worry about a last-minute Christmas gift.

By now you've probably figured out that while I'm too stressed to sit still and knit, I'm never too stressed to shop. Besides that knit this kit, new acquisitions include a tote for my journal from OfficeMax:

When you have to keep your house tidy, you don't want a pile of stickers, colored pens, glue sticks, and paper all over the place. And when you're a mental case from too many showings, you can pack up your journal case and go sit in ~~a bar~~ Starbucks and write down all your ~~swear words~~ concerns. Good, cheap therapy. Cheaper than gin.

Another ~~shopping excuse~~ favorite form of therapy is a long, hot shower with a bar of Pangea Organics Pyrenees Lavender With Damiana Tea soap. Mmmmmmmmmmm... good for you, good for the Earth.

I've been writing this post off and on for about four hours. Everyone in the house is now asleep. There are no showings scheduled for tomorrow (and even if some pop up, the house and hand towels are clean!) I'm thinking that if I log off now and sneak into the living room, I just might have a moment to knit after all...

I'm wishing you time and quiet for your creative therapy as well!

There Is A God, And S/He Reads My Blog

2006-06-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

It has happened more than once. I write, here or in my journal, about all the things that are making me crazy, and it is as if the ears of the Universe have been opened. All moves seamlessly into alignment and all my troubles are solved. Whether it is the cathartic action of writing, or "giving it up" to The Creator Of The Universe, putting one's worries into words seems to help one release things enough to let the Universe sort them out without one's help.

Yesterday, our old car was sold to someone who happened to be driving through our remote country subdivision.

One hour later, the company car we'd been awaiting arrived... and it is even a good color!

The realtor called, and the people selling us the farm had indeed agreed to our repair contingencies and had signed off on them... our guy just hadn't wanted to call us late at night to let us know (believe me, dude, we were up anyway, worrying about it.)

The rabbits are no longer eating anything in the garden now that I have poured blood meal around the edges of it. Go, okra!

The computers are now networked properly and I can get on the Internet without a problem. (There is no Internet service where we are moving. I do not want to think about the cost of a satellite dish at the moment.)

There is no Stanley Cup on TV tomorrow night!

Why will I be glad not to have hockey on TV tomorrow? Because, stressed out from a long day of learning new words like

, DH will have a couple of Sierra Nevada Pale Ales while watching the game and will then abscond with my digital camera and a carefully and fragile-ly wound center-pull ball of handspun to create what he calls...

...yarnvision. Go to bed, Honey.

My arm is better.

The new issue of Spin-Off arrived, and it is a really good one!

There are at least three really cool, inventive projects in this one: the Estonian sheep puppets on the cover, a center-pull ball wrist caddy, and instructions for handpainted self-striping sock yarn using a homemade warping board (finally!) Creative and imaginitive - things I haven't seen before. Excellent issue.

My GoKnit Pouch arrived (quickly! Inexpensively!) from SWAK. They have the usual colors, but...:

...note that it is PURPLE; and they have ORANGE, too!

All in all, I really didn't have to wait very long for things to get on an even keel. Thank You, Big Reader In The Sky!

All the worrying has made me somewhat irritable. My husband gave me a gentle reminder:

So I'm spending time learning about farm life:

And, after quizzing DH on unpronouncealbe (to me) things like exophthalmos, I thought I deserved a little treat, so while waiting for a pet having a minor surgery at the vet, I slipped out for these:

The yarns are Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Ultra (it's very soft!) fingering weight 100% wool (I have seen reports that it is Merino, and superwash, but I can't confirm that based on the label or their website). The pink-teal-lime is colorway 7106 and the cornflower-purple-pine-gold is 7606.

There's going to be an interesting documentary on TV next Tuesday, June 13th. It's called "Independent Lens on PBS: The Real Dirt On Farmer John". It's about a conventional-turned-organic farmer (and free-thinker) who was able to continue working the land when other farms around him went bust. He overcame the animosity of his rural community toward his unorthodox practices and was featured today on Public Radio's "Fresh Air" (see here). Explore the link to find recipes, too. Here is a captivating video preview! For more info, visit the movie's site: www.therealdirt.net

This documentary arose from John writing two books about his life experiences, putting all his problems down on paper. Like me, he had crummy days, he wrote about them, he waited, and it looks like things turned out ok for him, too.

I hope if you are not having a good day and if you're waiting for something to turn around, you'll try putting your thoughts into words. It's amazing what can happen.

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

2006-06-05T21:30:00.000-05:00

I am waiting. Waiting for someone to want to see our house (why no calls? It's a nice house!) Waiting for contingencies on the new house to be met so the deal can be finalized (no, we do not want to store your semi-trailer on the property for you until you find someplace to move it, thank you very much.) Waiting to order chickens, sheep (hi Lael!), goats.

Waiting for our car to sell and DH's company car to arrive (it was supposed to be here today and I cancelled a vet appointment and waited all day for it. No car.)

Waiting for DH to stop messing with my computer while he's setting up his home office, so that I can catch up with my e-mail and RSS feeds.

Waiting for my garden to grow (the rabbits ate the beans this week, Denise!) Waiting to move so I can unpack all the dyes and "blank" fibers I was having so much fun with.

Waiting for Mr. Stanley's Cup to be over so I don't have to listen to ~~DH yelling~~ the game every night (blech).

My knitting is waiting, too. I'm ~~avoiding~~ waiting on seaming up the three baby sweaters I've finished. One, made in a grape Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, according to pattern, is most definitely not going to have enough of the matching yarn left to seam with... boogers. Seaming is just not... not knitting, and what I need to be doing now is knitting.

Everything seems to be on hold and I'm itching for something soothing. Having to keep one's house clean for showings, while four dogs, two cats, two guinea pigs, two rats, and a now-working-at-home-husband live in said house, is not at all soothing, which is why we probably will not have much liquor left to move to the new house. (Pimm's Cup, anyone?)

I was going to make some socks or a hat out of the Navajo-plied/standard plied crazily colored rovings I've spun up over the last couple of months,

but the thought of having to look up a bit of info to get me started on toe-up or top-down (my favorite methods, but I often forget the basics) just left me flat. I need mindless. I need soothing.

This is soothing. It is soft, warm, plain, cozy, comforting:

Baby's Wrap Jacket from Morehouse Merino

Amazingly, I even got gauge with the recommended needle, and was off and running with minimal ~~sobriety~~ brainpower.

It feels good to be knitting again. Knitting is good while waiting. It makes waiting bearable. Well, it would... if I wasn't waiting for this packing-induced and ibuprofen-nonresponsive pain in my arm to go away. Sigh.

Anyway, this little garment is sure to keep some little one warm - the yarn is loosely spun and very soft. I think it will be very easy to get on and off a tot, and will keep the "chi" cozy - I heard from an acupuncturist that it's very important to keep the organs in the center of the body are warm to keep one's energy up. I can't wait to donate it someplace. Along with the other three sweaters. Because a little one is waiting, too. And I've so much to be thankful for, even if I am waiting for it.

How did the NAIS vote go?

Find out, and find out how your representative voted, here. Thanks for getting involved!

Of Farming In My Future...

2006-05-20T20:20:00.000-05:00

I still can't believe it... we bought a farm!

"Tuppinz Farm"

If all goes well, we'll move in by August and I'll have my dreamed-of chickens and sheep by September...

That's the great news. The not-so-great news, I'm finding, is that small-scale livestock owners' rights are threatened by the possibility of a national animal ID system being required.

Time is of the essence, as an amendment will be voted on this week (see here).

Would you, dear friend, be so kind as to visit NoNAIS.org if you'd like more info, learn about Big Agribusiness, Big Government's, and Big Commercial ID-Makers' efforts to control (read: wipe out) small, organic, and/or subsistence farms?

This is especially important to you owners of a few furry fiber friends, as you may be required to pay $1,500 for the privilege of registering them. And each animal must be registered separately!

So, would you now please go here to easily contact your US House Representative? Please ask him/her to vote YES to support Congressman Ron Paul's amendment to HR 5384 which blocks funding of NAIS.

If you will, I promise you lovely pics and descriptions of my farming exploits. I can pretty much guarantee you right now they will be hilarious...

Finished Fibers

2006-05-12T19:45:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the fibers I dyed recently:

Wensleydale

Bluefaced Leicester

Not Sure On Left, Wensleydale On Right

Bluefaced Leicester
These rovings are color-coordinated,
to be spun for two-color knitting. Wait and see...

And here are some handspun yarns I just finished up:

Brown Sheep Roving, Dyed By Me
Two-Ply (top) And Navajo-Ply (bottom)

Handspun From Sandy Sitzman/Woolgathering's "Apple Blossom" BFL

I clearly need to be practicing my spinning more. >:-P

Keeping Busy

2006-05-08T21:45:00.000-05:00

We have been so busy now that we know we are moving for sure. My brain and body have completely fried. This is what I've been doing to keep me sane...

Knitting: I'm working on the purple baby sweater. The front is finished, the back is almost finished. Pictured below...

Spinning: I spun up two complete dyed rovings - I think that is a first! They were probably eight ounces each (normally I just fiddle with a bit, dream about a potential project, and then get distracted by some other yummy thing. I don't think I've ever finished spinning an order of roving in my life.)

One was Wensleydale by The Fleece Artist (did you see their ad for yarn and roving in the new IK?) The other was by Sandy Sitzman of Twisted Sisters/Woolgatherings.

I'm anxious to start on some Chameleon Colorworks BFL now. The dyeing job is wonderful, and the fibers are soooo soft and crimpy.

Here's the new spindle I wrote about in my last entry: an Olivewood Midi Bosworth. It's so light, compared to my other Midis, and really lovely. Thanks, Sheila!

Dyeing: You would not believe the rovings I have drying in my basement! I'll post pictures when I arrange them for storage. I went nuts over the last few weeks, due to Nannette and the Spindlers fiber exchange. I just received nine pounds (!) of three types of roving I'd ordered, and am expecting some more One Shot dyes via FedEx soon. If I have any time left over this week, I'll definitely be playing with color.

Moving: We Freecycled all of our unused exercise equipment (treadmill, rower, weight bench and weights) and our garden tiller. I love Freecycling! It's like taking things to Goodwill... except you don't have to pack them up, and you don't have to drive them anywhere.

I've contacted a local living history museum about donating the great/walking spinning wheel I found at a farm rummage sale last summer. It needs to be in a museum. I feel lucky to have rescued it, and I've enjoyed looking at it and touching it this past year. But I will not be taking it all the way to Eau Claire. I was meant to care for it but not to own it - I felt that from the start. There are some wheels that speak to you, and this one says that it wants many people to appreciate its history.

We have a month to find a house. EEK! I have not had a good night's sleep in days. The gutter repairmen are coming tomorrow, so no nap to catch up tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps if I pack enough things in the morning, I can have some guilt-free dye time instead?

I have put away all of my fiber and yarn and accessories that were in a holding pattern on top of the piano, in preparation for packing them up with the rest of my stash. Now I have to focus on selecting just a few spindles, a bit of nice fiber, and some easy knitting to keep handy for any free (or exhausted) moments in the next few months, and get the rest "tubbed" and labeled for the move. Who cares about the dishes and knickknacks - those movers better not smash any spindles or wheels!

Gardening: If you think weeding isn't much fun, imagine having to weed knowing that you will not be around to enjoy the fruits of your labors.

Wouldn't you know it, this is the year the pear trees have finally bloomed. The apples are blooming as well - so many blossoms you can't even see the branches or leaves at all. I hope the new owners will enjoy all the fruit. New little columbines are popping up in the woodland garden - they've spread like mad, as have the mayapples. The lavender in the sunny garden is huge already. Sigh! Well, at least maybe I will get to enjoy my lettuce and radishes, since they got a head start and are doing well.

The things I will miss most about living here are the birds and animals and plants that I've come to know so well. I keep repeating the mantra, "Impermanence... impermanence..." It doesn't help. I wish I could pack up the cardinals, and chipmunks, and the nest of rabbits in my wild strawberries, and the bluebird babies now in Jeff's nest boxes, and take them all with me. The kestrel flew alongside me yesterday as I walked the dogs on the back grass path. This has been an amazing place for experiencing nature. I hope the new owners will keep it organic, and that they will let the little oak tree in the prairie continue to grow. But I must learn to let go. They aren't mine, and they never really were.

Vicarious Enjoyment: The lovely Claudia posted adorable sheep from MD$&W. Thanks for that!

Have a good day! If you are so fortunate as to have some time to relax today, please enjoy it for me!

Separated At Birth?

2006-05-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

I enjoy reading the lovely and talented Bonnie's blog covering her knitting projects and yummy dinner parties. But imagine my surprise when I saw a pic of her childhood toy...

... and noted how much it looked like my own beloved "Max":

"Max" is a female doggie. I have no idea why I named her Max.

Bonnie and I are of an age - early 40s - so I suppose it's not too shocking that we should have had similar stuffed animals. Anyone else still have a favorite childhood friend in storage somewhere? Post a pic!

No crafting updates today, but I have been spinning and dyeing furiously (what fun!), and will post pics soon. A gorgeous olivewood midi Bosworth spindle I'd ordered a short time ago arrived in the mail yesterday - a pic of that will follow soon as well. Thanks so much to Sheila and Jonathan for making and sending it prior to MDS&W. I was a little stressed and Sheila knew I needed it fast to spin and relax with.

In the meantime, here's a pic of the tiny party we had last night to celebrate Jeff's new job in Eau Claire, WI (it almost looks like one of Bonnie's fun events!)

Veueve-Clicquot and caviar were enjoyed by one and all. Yay, Jeff!

Spindiferous!

2006-04-29T19:57:00.000-05:00

It seems that everyone but me is gearing up for the start of fiber festival season. Unfortunately, I can't travel this year. Does that mean no new spindles for Stas? Not on your life!

Enter Halla, an incredibly talented artist whom I'm proud to call my friend. She kindly sent me a fix for my spindle addiction, since I'm not able to attend MDS&W, MSWF, or any other S&W (sheep and wool) or FF (fiber festival), for that matter (we are likely moving this summer and that allows no time for fleece.)

Thanks to Halla, I present to you my newly-purchased Pansies!

Premiere Pansies, #1 and #2.
Eat Your Heart Out Festival Attendees!
The flash made these appear shinier than they do in real life - they're matte.

Halla will have these beauties available for one and all, but she said she can't ship new orders until she's back from MDS&W. If you want to pluck one of these pretties while you're there, you can find her at the Indigo Hound booth (they make great wool combs - I've got a pair meself), in Barn 6, #18. It's at the highway end of the barn.

Seriously - all those who are attending, have a wonderful time! If you're thinking of going and are able to - go! You will meet lots of friendly people and fiber critters, and you'll have a lovely time. (You'll spend a wad of cash, too, but you'll sitll have a lovely time.)

More About Dyeing And Some Knitting, Too

2006-04-24T21:32:00.000-05:00

What I'm Working On, Knitwise...

Boatneck Sweater, "Baby Knits For Beginners", Debbie Bliss

What Jeff's Working On, Outsidewise...

Building New Shed Doors, Painting Shed

What I'm Working On, Spinningwise...

That's a new Greensleeves Trifle spindle (bloodwood whorl and tulipwood shaft) which I like a lot. I purchased it from Kendig Cottage via eBay. It spins much longer than my Queen's Sceptres.

The fiber was dyed by Sandy Sitzman (of Twisted Sisters fame) and the colorway is called "Appleblossom". Nannette had spun the same fiber some time ago, and I fell in love with it and had to order some.

What I'm Working On, Dyewise...

I did these fibers with the hot-pour method from "The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook". The results were less than predictable - not due to the book's instructions, as they're great! But due to the type of dye I'm using (not what they recommend), and my inexperience. The center and righthand rovings were supposed to be only two or three colors! I ended up with Grateful Dead rovings instead.

I think I will go back to the paint-in-strips-and-steam method now. And I will definitely stop wasting my yummy "blank" Wensleydale (the fibers on the left and right sides) and experiment with the inexpensive Brown Sheep roving (center).

Here are my hot-pour rovings just after simmering them for 30 minutes:

For the one below, I had mixed a pea green and a purple, and this is what I ended up with instead:

For the next one, I had mixed up an orange, a blue, and a purple, and I got this:

I had better success with some purchased fiber. These are from Chameleon Colorworks:

From Left:
Moss, Leaf Peepers
Hyacinth, Queen's Plums
Artichoke, William Morris

They will be blended in the pairings shown. The crimp of this Blue-faced Leicester is fantastic, and the fiber was not at all abused during the dyeing process. I ordered these on the 12th and they arrived on the 24th - not bad when you consider they weren't in stock at the time I placed my order. The colors are wonderful!

Janel helped me choose colors that would "go together". If you don't see something available on the site, or have color questions, just e-mail her - she's great to work with.

I was also lucky enough to obtain these fibers from Winderwood Farm, via eBay.

On the left is Wensleydale, and on the right is alpaca. The colors are lovely and they didn't skimp on the quantity. I also purchased some "blank" Wensleydale from this vendor. Everything arrived very quickly. Don't you guys buy him out, now!

The spindle pictured is a Bosworth Midi in Tasmanian Tiger Myrtle, also purchased from Kendig Cottage. Love it! (Sheila, I can't wait for my olivewood!)

I had shopped for some other handpainted fibers and was sadly disappointed. I won't name the fiber artist, but here is what I ended up with... you can see a mini-skein from the artist's color card, along with the fiber I received... not exactly a match, huh?

This one is relatively close...

Fiber from this vendor several years ago, on left, is "true".

Now, after all my own crazy dyed experiments, I know how hard it is to get predictable results. But then, as with Koigu yarn, why provide customers with a color chart at all?

And who should show up again, all weekend long?

Mr. Color himself, all bright in the sun.

I hope your day is colorful and full of fiber! Thanks for stopping by!

Dyeing Day Deux

2006-04-21T23:03:00.000-05:00

Today I experimented with the "hot pour" dyeing method described in the fabulously inspirational The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook.

I used the One Shot/Country Classics dyes in the following ratios to make three stocks:
1 tsp. Buttercup (yellow) in 4 oz. water for yellow stock;
1/2 tsp. Cherry (red) in 4 oz. water for red-fuchsia stock;
1/4 tsp. cherry and 1/4 tsp. Cornflower (blue) in 4 oz. water to make purple stock. I didn't mess with secondary shades today, figuring the dyeing method would give me enough variations of each color.

The primaries I use are "printer's primaries" and are more vivid than standard primaries. Apparently, this brand of dye requires a bit more per cup of water than Lanaset/Sabraset dyes do, probably because more jar space is taken up by the "extras" that are already in the dye (you don't need to add anything). Yellow is not as strong as the other colors so I used more.

I soaked 5 oz. of Wensleydale roving in 1 and 1/4 gallon of water with 1/4 tsp. Synthropol for 30 minutes. The water was 110 degrees (warm).

I drained the fiber and lifted it carefully to a stainless steel bowl with a flat bottom, and added water of the same temperature as the fiber so as not to shock and felt it with a temperature change. I added a "glug" of vinegar in the hopes that it would make the dye strike the fiber quickly. I then heated the water to 190 degrees F.

I made a mistake at the last step by adding too much water - it should have been just to the level of about 1.5 inches, and I had it at about 3 inches, so that the roving was floating on top with water space beneath. I also failed to keep the temperature of the water above 190 as I dyed. These two things combined made my individual colors not adhere quickly enough to the fiber, and my colors all ran a bit and combined more than I would have liked.

First I added the yellow in a "stripe" down the center of my bowl of jumbled-up roving. I waited, giving the dye a chance to exhaust. (See above for the reasons it never did.) I noted the water problem as my yellow spread throughout the bowl, and removed a few cups of liquid, which helped contain the dyes in the following steps. I then added a red sripe to one side, waited, and then added the purple in a stripe on the opposite side. I kept the bowl at a very low simmer for 10 minutes.

Simmering

I removed the bowl from heat and let it cool to room temperature. I should have let it cool overnight, but we needed the kitchen to prepare dinner, so as soon as the fiber was cool enough and I was able, I rinsed the roving in several changes of room-temperature water.

The dyebath never did exhaust, and I think that in addition to my too-much-water mistake and too-low-heat mistake, I did a too-much-dye-liquid mistake as well. But the concentration of the dye was better and stronger today than in yesterday's experiment, so I'm learning.

Here is the resulting roving.

The hot-pour method is supposed to result in lots of secondary color blends, and that's exactly what happened. The blue I got was quite unexpected! This wasn't what I was shooting for but I like it. This method was far less time-consuming than painting the individual roving lengths by hand, and very easy... but also far less predictable.

We are having company for dinner tomorrow, so no more dyeing for the time being. I think I'm going to cave in and order some dyes in the colors I really want, as experimenting with primary mixes is taking up too much time, and my Wensleydale roving is in short supply!

Have a wonderful weekend! Happy Earth Day!

My Dyeing Day

2006-04-20T20:57:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who so kindly shared dyeing tips with me! I spent this afternoon experimenting with OneShot dyes from ProChemical.com.

I never actually did find out how much total dye liquid was required per pound of fiber to be painted. It's easy with immersion dyeing, because the dye bonds to the fiber in the bath, and then you pour off exhausted, clear water. But with the painting method, you don't know how much "wastage" there will be. I wanted to minimize the dye that would remain for disposal, due to environmental concerns. I took notes so that next time, I won't mix up more than I'll need.

I started with primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. I also got a container of black, to darken shades. Theoretically, that should be all anyone would need... but perhaps dyes don't work the same as oil paints! They're much more like watercolors. I had some difficulty getting the secondary shades of orange, green, and purple, because yellow isn't as strong as red or blue.

But I winged it, and eventually got the colors approximately where I wanted them. I then divided the three shades into nine, dulling three with some black, and lightening three with extra water.

So without further ado, this is what took place.

Here we have about 8 oz. of Brown Sheep plain ol' roving soaking in 1 and 1/4 gallons of 110-degree (warm) water, with 1/4 tsp. of Synthropol, for 30 minutes. I've separated the roving into 1 oz. lengths, and loosely coiled them so they don't fall apart in the water.

I like the Brown Sheep roving because it's very inexpensive, it's easy for beginners to spin with, it's soft, and it holds up well under rough treatment.

The Synthropol is a detergent that pre-scours the roving (removing any carding oils) and prepares it for dyeing. You can also use dish liquid but the proportions are different, and you don't want to make suds. You're on your own there.

Here are my supplies: OneShot dyes in Cornflower, Cherry, Buttercup, and Raven; old towels; rubber gloves; a painting drop sheet; little paint cups with ounces and liters marked on them; foam painting brushes; Saran wrap, fiber scale.

Not pictured: dust mask, candy thermometer, plastic spoons, towels on floor for drips.

All equipment is dedicted to dyeing use only!

Extra precautions taken: dogs fed and watered, walked, and put away; fishtank covered. Hair put up (I had an incident with a cordless Dremel tool last week which left me extra paranoid of my long hair getting into anything.)

Here I have mixed my dyes. The center row is the "base" mix. I started with 1/4 tsp. each of two colors mixed together (1/2 tsp. total), and added 2 c. hot water: 1/4 tsp. of yellow with 1/4 tsp. of red to make orange, 1/4 tsp. of yellow with 1/4 tsp. of blue to make green, 1/4 tsp. of red with 1/4 tsp. of blue to make purple. I then made a plain black solution of 1/4 tsp. dye to 1 c. hot water.

The purple came out fine. The orange and green needed more yellow, so I added 1/4 tsp. more each, and a little more after that. The yellow took a long time to combine with the other colors - when I tested orange and green on the paper towel, some yellow had still not mixed in all the way. So I waited a bit longer.

So each of those center cups held 16 oz. of dye stock. I took each one and poured off 4 oz. of dye and added water to make 12 oz. for a light solution (top row). Then I took the original (center row) dyes again, and poured off another 4 oz. of eac, and then added 1/3 of 8 oz. of black to each of those to make a dark shade of each color. (At least, I'm pretty sure that's what I did - I began to lose track of ounces about this time.)

I'm going to tell you right now that I ended up with much lighter colors - the black mixes included - than I'd have liked. Next time I would use more dye (probably 1 tsp. per cup of water) and I would make the shades darker when mixing... when the paper towel shows you what the solution will look like, believe it and don't assume it is showing a bit lighter. Wet fiber (just-painted) always appears darker, and the dye looks darker in a cup.

Here I have painted the roving in strips ranging from light to medium to dark of each shade. The roving is laid out on a piece of Saran wrap (hint: make your rovings no longer than the length of the surface on which you'll be painting them!) I didn't use a ruler to measure the repeats - I just made them two foam paintbrushes wide so they'd be consistent. In a dyeing book I read recently (I believe it was Deb Menz' "Color In Spinning"), the author states that she usually uses between 12 and 24 colors when dyeing, to make a very interesting yarn with a lot of depth. She paints the roving in short repeats like this, never longer than three inches, so that the colors can be mixed well when being spun to make an exciting, vibrant yarn.

Here I have wrapped the Saran wrap lengthwise to encase the fiber, making a good lengthwise seal. I then rolled up the Saran wrap to make a HoHo out of my fiber.

Into the steam pot goes the roving. The fiber is placed on top of a rack, above the water surface, and left to steam at a low simmer for 30 minutes.

The fiber is allowed to cool to room temperature before being unrolled.

While the fiber was cooling, I cleaned up the dyes. I had used a total of approximately 24 oz. of water, times three colors for a total of 72 oz., and I ended up with 9 oz. of dye, times three colors for a total of 27 oz., left over after painting slightly more than 8 oz./230 grams of fiber. As I said, next time more dye powder, and less water.

I was distracted by this visitor to my garden. No, this is not a normal sight around here, though I've heard him calling for a couple of weeks now.

The rovings weren't cooling fast enough for me, as dinner time was approaching, so I uncurled the Saran wrap to make them cool more quickly.

Once they had cooled to room temperature, I rinsed the dyed rovings in several changes of room-temperature water, being careful not to agitate them so that they would neither felt nor fall apart in the water.

I then spun the rovings somewhat dry in my dyeing-dedicated salad spinner.

About this time, we had another visitor. A later inspection tells me she is making a nest in our chives. I expect to see some babies in a few days. The dogs will, of course, be walked on the other side of the house from now on!

Remember what I said about trusting the paper towel? If I had paid attention to it, I would have known I was going to end up with PAAS colors!

Here is the finished roving drying on the line.

I am looking forward to trying the blended color vs. preserved color spinning techniques I posted about here.

This took a lot longer than I thought it would. Those people who sell painted rovings deserve every dang penny they get, especially if they don't just do three shades of a single color. I may try some hot-pour method dyeing tomorrow. Then again, I may be in bed all day tomorrow. In any case, I hope your tomorrow is a good one!

Dyes And Philosophical Musings

2006-04-18T14:15:00.000-05:00

Dyeing Info?

From a post I made on the Spindlers list:

I have a question for anyone familiar with OneShot/Country Classics dyes (I got mine from ProChemical.)

I want to use these to paint roving, as opposed to immersion dyeing the roving. I can't find any good instructions for the amount of painting dye to mix up based on the weight of goods to be dyed. All the instructions are for immersion dyeing - so many grams of dye per a big pot of water.

I'm confused because a) I stink at math and b) I want to use more than one color (say three), and then varying shades of those colors (so maybe nine shades total). I know that I will need to dilute the concentrations of the original colors to make the other tones... but how much should I start with for, say, 8 or 12 oz. of (dry) fiber?

I'm also confused as to the dye stock percentage to use for painting. For immersion dyeing, it's a 1% solution... is it the same for painting, or should I go stronger?

The reason for all these questions is that I don't think these dyes can be stored as stock for longer than two weeks and I therefore want to mix as little as possible, and exhaust as much as possible, to be "environmentally responsible". If you read this blog last summer, you know that we just had a new septic system installed, and I am SO not putting anything down there that might ruin it! (I just don't think that dumping dye down the drain is good for the Earth, in any application.)

I've looked in several of my books on dyeing and haven't found really good guidelines for amounts to mix up relating to the amount of fiber to be painted. Lots of painting instructions... just no weight to dye ratios. If you have any resources to share with me, I would really appreciate it! I also wrote to ProChem to ask them for any suggestions, and if I hear back, I'll post here.

If I can figure this out in time, I'd love to join the current Spindlers dyed 4 oz. ready-to-spin fiber exchange. All this spinning of dyed Wensleydale has me wanting to dye my own. Sigh. Yet another distraction, as my spindles litter the living room. I even have the Lendrum upright raring to go (I forget - does it need to be oiled? Anyone? Bueller?)

What's to become of my unfinished knitted baby sweaters? And I have yet to start my seedlings... sometimes I really wish I had only one hobby. Just when I re-learn how to do one (like weaving once or twice annually!) I have to go read up on another. I really should just focus on one thing - but where's the fun in that?

Special Appeal

The href="http://www.northwoodswildlifecenter.com/" target="_blank">Northwoods Wildlife Center of Minocqua, Wisconsin has issued a special appeal for support. They are hosting a "surreality" contest where in you can "vote" for (sponsor) the "winner" (your favorite). Click the pic to enlarge it so that you can read their poem - it's cute. Then give freely if you are so inclined. They do fantastic work.

This t-shirt cracked me up:

It reads, "It's all fun and games until someone laughs their butt off." Love it!

Philosophical Musings

Today I am thinking that...

Those who cannot state their opinions in a way that doesn't insult another are not very confident of their opinions. I think they must not have very much faith in the validity of their beliefs.

Those who don't get the facts before asserting themselves don't want the facts - they just have a need to be heard.

Those who create dissention and unrest do so because of an unfulfilled need for personal power or because of low self-esteem.

Those who want to express themselves at all costs, and are unwilling to listen to, or be respectful of, the opinions of another - and those who find the need to misrepresent the views of another to make their own positions appear stronger - do so because they like to argue for the sake of arguing, not because they care about betterment of their lives or those of others.

Those who criticize creations do so because of a fear that they can't create themselves.

There are those who would rather be against something - anything - negatively than be for something else in a positive manner.

Those who vociferate ferociously about their rights often don't care much about the rights of others. Sometimes they care more about the right itself than actually exercising the right, and they'd rather argue about the right than do anything constructive with it. There also is often a difference between one's rights and what may be the right thing to do in a particular situation.

Intelligent people can discuss ideas and agree to disagree without making personal attacks. Intelligent people strive first to understand another's views, then feel free to express their own, seeking common ground.

Those who do not seek common ground seek to... what? Why wouldn't one want to seek common ground? To that, I have no answer. I want to work on peace within myself, my family, my friends, the world. Those who desire conflict for the sake of conflict generate their own karma, as do we all.

My life is too short to be sucked dry by negativity. Because of my limitations, I value the positive in life so much more. I have learned that I control how negativity affects me - I can choose to walk away from it. For that life lesson, I am truly grateful. It has made all the difference.

Have a positive day!

So Glad I Planted

2006-04-15T11:46:00.000-05:00

I really could have chosen a better week to plant the lettuce seeds in the garden. But who was to know we'd have the hailstorm of the century?

It happened at about 10 at night, and it sounded like bricks were raining on the roof. The temperature dropped 20 degrees in as many minutes. The next day, despite a temperature of 64 degrees at 10:30, hailstones still littered the ground. The average size was that of a golf ball (see pic above) but there were many that were softball-sized. Amazing!

To give you an idea of the force with which the hailstones fell, here is some of the damage they did:

Hole Through Metal Gutter

Holes In Heavy Plastic Hose Box

Hole Through Picnic Table

But things have returned to normal. Well, if you could call yesterday's high temperature of 82 degrees normal for April in Wisconsin (not). Life carries on, and these wild bees on the blooming pussywillows don't seem to have a care in the world.

Maybe the seeds will have survived as well. Have a great weekend!

Even More Color

2006-04-13T17:02:00.000-05:00

In my last entry I wrote about being inspired by Janel's hat over at Spindlicity. Besides the gorgeous colors (I did end up ordering some fiber from Chameleon Colorworks, and will show it to you when it arrives), what struck me as cool was how Janel got different yarn patterning from a roving. To wit:

Above we have some Wensleydale (does anyone else hear Wallace saying, "Cheeeese, Gromit!" and picture him wiggling his fingers in the air?) from The Fleece Artist.

On the left niddy-noddy is a two-ply yarn spun from roving that was split lengthwise into six strips. This made a "confetti" yarn, in Janel's words.

On the right is a 3-ply yarn spun from roving that was not split into strips, but just pre-drafted to make spinning easier. I Navajo-plied it to maintain separation and distinction of the individual colors.

Speaking of Wensleydale, I had no idea there was a Wallace And Gromit Special. Oh Paaaamela....

Despite spinning for lo these many years, I don't think I've ever tried this particular color trick. I'm anxious to knit a hat inspired by Janel's design to see how the two yarns complement each other, yet retain their individuality.

Above are the two skeins of yarn. What colors! I had just grabbed this out of my stash, but I think there was a bit of subconscious "Easter" on my mind, since the colors are obviously "right" for this weekend.

In case you're interested in the colorway, it's ancient, and I don't think you can get it any more. I believe Jeff brought it home from Rovings on one of his Canadian business trips. Check out this page on their site to see goodies made by one of my favorite spindle makers, Edward Tabachek. His nosties and niddies are awesome.

Spindle Musings: I found that, after not spinning for such a long time, I was more sensitive to certain "inefficiencies" in some of my spindles. One giant plying spindle that I had purchased (but hadn't yet used) proved to be a royal PITA because its hook is so small that it won't accommodate plied yarn. What is up with that? Other spindles, though made of beautiful woods, have whorls so narrow that despite their heavier weight, they backspin almost immediately. (Now, I do know how to spindle spin... most of those videos over at ICanSpin.com are of me!)

The spindle in the pic worked well but was not suited to the heavier yarn I was spinning - my bad. What ended up working best for me was my old standby Tracy Eichheim production comet, and a Bosworth Maxi for plying (that thing would not stop spinning, which was a joy after all the others I'd been fiddling with).

I forsee some spindle-weeding-out in the future, and despite the fact that I hated the material it was made of, I'm regretting selling my Mongold (especially as they're around $120 on eBay now!)

I also had difficulty using my Lizzie Kate and am definitely going to have to look up some instructions.

I hope to show you some knitting progress with my newly-spun yarn soon - it's drying on the line outside as I write.

Speaking of outside, we continue to have unseasonably warm weather, in the 70s. I was able to get a bit of my garden planted:

In the marked rows, we have: A) Viroflay spinach, B) Butterhead lettuce; C) Sweet Valentine lettuce; D) some kind of red oak leaf lettuc; E-F) mesclun mix; G-H) cilantro/coriander. Most seeds are from Seeds Of Change.

Jeff has been banned from the garden for the year. He always takes over the garden initially, then lets it turn to weeds as he gets too busy with his job. The onions you see in the picture remained in the garden over the winter! He also mangles the soil with a noisy gas garden digger. I believe that disrupts the "ecosystem" in the soil, so I just loosen things gently with my Garden Weasel. Even a weakling like me can use that tool. So we'll see if I do better this year than he has done in the past... just in case, we've resubscribed to our Community Supported Agriculture organic farm co-op. Now that we eat primarily vegetarian Indian and Asian food, using up all those veggies will be nooooo problem!

The arrow in the pic is pointing to my Tibetan prayer flags. Before things greened up around here, it was great to look out the window and see the bright colors flapping in the breeze, sending good energy out into the world.

Bulbs Have Bloomed

In other projects, I found some ribbon to use on a baby sweater I made ages ago when my sister was pregnant the first time:

Maybe I can finish that one up, in addition to seaming the one from my previous entry. I'm currently knitting a third in purple Cashmerino Aran.

I don't think I shared that I recently purchased a marudai from Braider's Hand. Janis was wonderful to work with, and it is lovely!

I'm so jealous - my friend Veryl recently hosted Rodrick Owen at her home when he was in town to teach! I have his book and DVD and once I have a free moment, I'll try my hand at a braid or two.

I purchased the marudai as a meditation tool rather than a fiberarts one... I have no use for braids and will probably give away anything I make (that turns out, that is!) But my friends who are involved in this art form have told me that it is as much a spiritual practice as a creative one, and I'm all for anything that will help me to become more aware and focused. I'm not too good at meditating by just sitting still - I need to at least have a mala in my hands!

I can't remember if I showed you the beaded birth goddess sachet I made for my sister, but here's a pic of it. I finished it just in time to get it to Nathania before Xylia's birth. (Weird names run in our family.) The doll is stuffed with lavender and there is purple felt on the back. So I'll close for today with her vivid colors for you. Have a good holiday weekend! I have to dash - Jeff will be home in five minutes to make his famous Indian coconut rice, and I will not be late for that!

Fun With Color

2006-04-10T15:28:00.000-05:00

Lookie what I got!

Three fun colorways of Painted Toes sock yarns - wheeee! It pays to be a member of The Klaudette Krazy List so you hear about these before they hit eBay!

In other news... I actually spun on a spindle today. Alert the media! It's been... how long... over a year? I'm using some lovely Fleece Artist Wensleydale - it's ancient and I don't think they make it anymore, but it's dyed in very muted flowery colors.

I got inspired to spin and knit last night by Janel's new design on Spindlicity. (There's a reminder list for them as well, so you never miss an update. Join here.) Has anyone purchased fiber from Chameloen Colorworks? I may just stick with Rhapsodies...

I love how Janel shows how spinning and plying makes a difference in the appearance of color in a yarn, and how the Rhapsodies pics show how you can knit with two ends of a ball of yarn to make what looks like very complicated colorwork.

It's 60 degrees and sunny here today. The birds are singing. The garden is begging to be planted. Crocuses and daffodils are up and color is everywhere. There just isn't anything like spring! Have a colorful day!

Pet Projects

2006-03-31T21:58:00.000-06:00

Hello all! Sorry for being silent for so long. It has been a crazy time around here for pet surgeries and vet visits but everyone is now doing well. We're all anxious for spring to arrive so that we can get some fresh air and exercise.

I have some pet projects to share with you today.

Pet Project Number One

One of my pet causes is supporting freedom for the Tibetan people. Remember the "Free Tibet!" slogan from the 80s? Well, Tibet is still not free, though unfortunately you don't hear enough about it these days (find out more here and learn how you can help here.)

Did you know that Tibetan children are often sent by their desperate parents over the Himalayan mountains to India for their safety from things like this and this? Can you imagine going across your city at less than ten years of age - much less crossing a snowy, dangerous mountain? It's not like these kids get to shop at REI for equipment before they go! Some lose limbs to frostbite... some lose their lives. It's truly heartwrenching so in addition to making financial donations, I am boycotting Chinese goods. But there's another way we fiberartists can help... Jetsun Pema is the sister of the Dalai Lama. You may have seen her in the movie "Seven Years In Tibet", in which she played the Dalai Lama's mother.

Jetsun Pema is the president of the Tibetan Children's Village in Dharamsala, India (the city which is the current home in exile of the Dalai Lama and many Tibetan refugees).

I have communicated with TCV, and donations of knitted items, particularly sweaters, would be welcome. They should be made of natural fibers, and sent in small packages (i.e., one or two items per package, one package at a time) so that customs duties are not incurred. There are people of all sizes and shapes in Dharamsala, so anything you send will be put to good use as it's quite cold there in the high lands.

It is very important that you label your package, or write on your customes form,

"Donation For Refugee Children: Knitted Items Only".

Your lovelies may be sent to:

Head Office
Tibetan Children's Village
Dharamsala Cantonment - 176 216
District Kangra
H. P.
India

For more on Jetsun Pema and current events in Tibet, visit this link.

Pet Project Number Two

My sister had a baby girl!

Xylia Ryanna

Baby knitting has taken over my crafting efforts. Debbie Bliss and Erika Knight are my pals. I'm working on this sweater from Knight's Simple Knits For Cherished Babies:

It's very easy, quick, and fun. Now to find a lovely ribbon for the tie...

Next up is the Baby Wrap from Morehouse Merino... tho', since my sister now lives in L.A., perhaps that toasty little item will go into the Dharamsala package instead.

Pet Project Number Three

Press the little triangle button to meet the new kids!

Claudia, they're orange! Who could resist?

These two guinea pigs were surrendered due to their owners' move (hint: if you can't commit to an animal for its entire life, don't get one - they're not toys and they're not disposable). Their toenails hadn't been properly taken care of in ages and needed immediate medical attention, so the piglets found their way into our home.

Portabello on left, Porcini on right.

Porcini bears a striking resemblance to Geoffrey Palmer, don't you think?

After a quick visit to the vet, who gave them an awesome pedicure and a once-over for health, it was time for proper housing. Thanks to Nan, humane piggie palace instructions were found here.

Construction began, with a total cost outlay of $19.99 for a sheet of Coroplast corrugated plastic, $14.99 for wire shelving units, $3 for zip ties, and $6.99 for cut-to-fit wire lipped shelving. I added a $16.99 rug for extra floor insulation. Total: About $62. Know how much an (inhumane - nowhere near large enough!) regular guinea pig cage costs? About $30.

Let's see... more than six times the room, and the ability for the piggies to actually move out of their toilet area and run, jump, and play for just double the cost (less if you don't get a rug as I did)... it was a no-brainer. Over the lifetime of our pigs (who will no doubt live to a ripe old age, getting proper exercise and not being depressed in a too-small prison), that is a tiny price to pay for a creature's happiness!

The Piggie Palace With Guard Kitty, Dill

Piggie Palace With Cat-Proof Lid Closed As Abby Investigates

Guinea pigs are great pets for gentle families. Many are available for adoption from rescue sources. For proper care information (did you know they need daily leafy greens for vitamin C to prevent scurvy?) visit Seagull's care page.

I hope your own pet projects are going well. Have a fabulous weekend - it was 70 degrees here for a short time this week, and I'm hoping we'll get a replay in the next few days. Fresh air, here we come!

Next pet project? A new podcast. Stay tuned...

Just A Quick Post With Some Links...

2006-01-26T17:20:00.000-06:00

Robbyn, your blog is busted - please fix it. :-)

I'd wanted to tell Robbyn's gerblets, and everyone else with small pets, about Wodent Wheels. Nannette turned me on to them. They are awesome. Even if you already have a flat-surfaced running wheel for your little companions, believe me when I say that these are sturdier, superior, and (with a drop of olive oil on it when you first receive it) vastly quieter than any wheel on the market. They're the only wheels approved by the ASPCA for safety. They are definitely worth the price and I'm kicking myself for not having gotten them sooner!

I ordered mine from Kim's Ark Rat Rescue to support her cause.

I have a friend who has worked long, hard, and diligently for llama rescue. They are innundated with llamas needing homes. If you have the land, the time, the money for expenses, and the desire to care for some really wonderful (and fiber-producing!) critters, I can put you in contact with her. You could have a pair of pretty pets in no time at all.

Note: those looking to breed llamas for income, or desiring "guardian animals" for sheep herds (ridiculous; llamas are prey animals and should only be used to alert a livestock guardian dog to protect a flock!) need not apply.

P.S. No matter what those magazines and websites tell you, there is not a market for alpacas, either. They are not a solid investment opportunity and there are lots of pet-quality rescues looking for homes as well. Don't fall for it, fiberartists! Whenever animals are involved, the expenses far exceed the income for 99% of owners.

Just a couple of quick links for you today:

Good article on the basics of meditation and why you need it! ;-)

Ever hear Tibetan singing bowls? Here is an article describing them. A good explanation of the Lotus Mantra (Om Mani Padme Hum) with a sound file of a Tibetan refuge pronouncing it in the Tibetan manner.

Cool site - light a candle with your intentions: Gratefulness.org

Now this is very helpful:

"A simple self-test to help you identify the archetypes that are calling to you through advertising and the media. You can use this information to make educated decisions about what the archetype really wants, and whether satisfying it requires you to purchase anything. Often, when we have the genuine experience the archetype craves, we find we do not have to buy so much."

Pretty cool, and accurate in my case. Food for thought!

I am working on origami peace cranes, a crocheted cap, a knit prayer shawl, some beadwork, and too many other little things that I can't do because my husband brought home a cold from his travels to pass on to me. Blech. Hope you are having a great and creative day!

Something New With Sock Yarn

2006-01-14T23:18:00.000-06:00

Tired of swimming in the same old "pool"?

If you've tried handpainted sock yarns, only to have to frog out pooling color patches, you might want to give rigid heddle weaving a try. It's a great fix if you love the artistic color combinations but aren't set on a particular project. Well, not only will you avoid those blobs of color, but you can finish a scarf in a matter of hours.

The yarn I purchased, by The Knotty Sheep, doesn't, in all honesty, pool when knit into socks because the color repeats are nice and short, but it worked up great for my demo anyway...

The colorway is "Mermaids Singing To Starfish". I used the EZ-PZ and super-fast warping method in The Ashford Book Of Rigid Heddle Weaving by Rowena Hart. It took less than 15 minutes!

Here's the warp, ready to be wound onto the back of the loom:

A short time and some lovely meditative weaving action later, we have this!

Here is a detail of the interesting colorplay that takes place during weaving of this fingering-weight yarn:

I used one skein of the yarn to make this scarf which, when taken off the loom, measures 56" - 68" including the fringe.

Is a Knitter's Loom in your future? (Mine is actually just the Ashford 24" rigid heddle with optional stand. I have two huge looms that I hardly ever use, but this one is so easy that I wove three scarves on it in the last two weeks!)

Hope your new year has gotten off to a creative start!

Stop Feeding Your Dog Diamond Brands Dog Food NOW

2006-01-07T09:57:00.000-06:00

Please Check This Info, Please Pass It Along!

There has been a recall of Diamond Brands dog foods due to a toxic fungus present in the corn used as an ingredient. Cat foods by the company have also been tested and proven tainted, though no cat deaths have yet been reported, according to what I have read today.

To see if the dog food you have purchased was in the affected lots recalled by the FDA, please go here and here.

For information on whether your pet should be tested for exposure, please go here.

The original news story is here.

Please post a notice on your blog or e-mail this info to your friends with pets for additional dispersal. Due to the holidays, the recall information didn't get as much notice as it should have and dogs continue to be affected. THANKS!

GRATEFUL!

2005-12-29T15:00:00.000-06:00

Woo Hoo!

We received a call with the pathology results from Fiona's final cancer surgery... not only were there completely clear margins, but there were no cancer cells whatsoever in the tissue. Fiona is officially in remission! The radiation treatments not only shrunk down the "fingers" of the tumor but apparently eradicated the remaining main mass as well - unusual, but not unheard-of. We'll take it!

If hemangiopericytoma returns, which is common, it is usually within the first six months, so we will be vigilant with CT scans, chest x-rays, and other check-ups to spot any unusual changes. But for now, we are calling it cured.

Thank you so very much for your kind thoughts and prayers! We truly believe the reason Fiona has tolerated two surgeries and fifteen radiation treatments so well is because of all the positive energy you have sent her way. We are truly grateful to you, and to God for blessing us with some more time to cherish our girl!

In fiber arts news I have woven two scarves on my Ashford rigid heddle loom while making sure Fi stayed still in her bed (she has over 30 sutures, which will be removed on the 5th.) I followed the easy direct warping instructions in the Ashford Book Of Rigid Heddle Weaving and gone were the headaches I formerly experienced when attempting to warp a loom. Rowena Hart's "warp it by the seat of your pants and play with it" attitude was just the creative boost I needed, and the scarves were completed easily in a matter of hours. Weaving without tears, finally.

I see Ashford has a new "Knitter's Loom" available... if you want to get a head start on next year's holiday gifts, and would like to create fun and funky scarves from handspun or novelty yarns in a couple of hours rather than knitting them in days or (like me) weeks, give rigid heddle weaving a try. Just be sure to get the book with the loom so you don't become overwhelmed by other warping and measuring instructions before you get a feel for the joy of weaving! I almost didn't return to it after all the mathematical and measurement nightmares I'd previously experienced with my big looms and big books... simple and fun is definitely the way to go.

Photos will follow as soon as I've blocked these, but for now I'm spending time with Miss Fi.

To Quote...

I came across this prayer, attributed to the Dalai Lama (I'm assuming the current HH but it wasn't clear). I hope it brings you comfort; maybe if we all say it it will bring comfort to others, too:

May all beings everywhere,
Plagued by sufferings of body and mind,
Obtain an ocean of happiness and joy
By virtue of my merits.
May no living creature suffer,
Commit evil, or ever fall ill.
May no one be afraid or belittled
With a mind weighed down by depression.
May the blind see forms
And the deaf hear sounds.
May those whose bodies are worn with toil
Be restored on finding repose.
May the naked find clothing,
The hungry find food.
May the thirsty find water
And delicious drinks.
May the poor find wealth,
Those weak with sorrow find joy.
May the forlorn find hope,
Constant happiness, and prosperity.
May there be timely rains
And bountiful harvests.
May all medicines be effective
And wholesome prayers bear fruit.
May all who are sick and ill
Quickly be freed from their ailments.
Whatever diseases there are in the world,
May they never occur again.
May the frightened cease to be afraid
And those bound be freed.
May the powerless find power
And may people think of benefiting each other.

Please remember the true panchen lama in your thoughts. Here at Chez Chef Jeff, we are boycotting "Made In China" goods until religious freedom and human rights are restored to Tibet.

I wish you a New Year as blessed as this one has been for us. In the words of a Buddhist prayer, may we all be happy, may we all be peaceful, may we all be free. Thank you for visiting - please let me know you stopped by!

Just What The Doctor Ordered...

2005-12-17T09:51:00.000-06:00

In case knitting isn't enough to soothe your soul during this sometimes-frantic season, I enthusiastically recommend this:

From the package: "The first 'inner-active' computer adventure that combines ancient yogic breathing and meditation with modern biofeedback technology. Not just a game but a tool for balancing mind and body."

If you enjoy computer games, Eastern meditation traditions, beautiful scenery and colors and sounds, and feeling more relaxed and creative and centered, then you'll love this. I hesitate to call it a game because it is a wonderful tool for learning and using breathing techniques to reduce the effects of hypertension, migraines, anxiety, depression, and stress... and yet it is a very fun process in a game format!

You enter "The Sun Realm" on a quest (how excited I was to see the Fiona Fountain there!) You learn to control your body and mind's energy ups and downs through a series of fun events such as Zen archery, balancing rocks, controlling the flights of kites or birds using your mind, etc. When you succeed at each, you gain various keys and tools which will allow you to progress to different parts of the magical land.

The game comes with a biofeedback sensor (with USB connection) into which you place the fingers of your non-mouse hand. The computer senses your heartbeat and breathing rate (and other signals) through these sensors, and only when you have achieved the required state of increased or decreased energy can you complete the tasks. These tasks, in turn, teach you how to control your body and mind when you are not connected to the computer, giving you more control when stressed by your boss or traffic, or helping you increase your energy when you're feeling worn out.

Try the demo at the company's site or at Amazon to see what it's all about.

This is one of the best Christmas gifts I think I've ever received! And luckily it came before Christmas, and Fiona's second surgery next week, so that I can be in a good frame of mind by the time both take place.

Namaste.

Warm And Cozy

2005-12-13T16:13:00.000-06:00

Fiona is all warm and cozy for the holidays in her Klaudette The Knotty Sheep T - she's a fiber afficianado for sure!

It is chilly here in Wisconsin - 27 degrees - and we have snow and are expecting more tonight. I'm cozied up, knitting on my diagonal Brooks Farm yarn scarf.

Tonight I'm going to attempt to weave a quick scarf (ha! Famous last words!) of Berroco "Pleasure" on my Ashford rigid heddle loom... wish me luck (and stop laughing, those of you who know how weaving and I get along!) I also have two colorways of Kary's handpainted sock yarn, and I'm thinking those might weave up beautifully as well... I'll keep you posted!

Have a cozy evening!

We Knew It All Along...

2005-12-12T15:11:00.000-06:00

Today my psychiatrist* found me knitting as I waited for our appointment. He was quite happy to see me doing it. He told me that recent research indicates that doing fine handwork such as knitting is as beneficial as physical exercise in increasing seratonin levels in the brain. He thinks it is a shame that more people nowadays don't engage in such activities, but feels they will come to be recommended more and more for their therapeutic benefits.

replace

quiet

The doctor went on to tell me of his own thoughts about how, in the "old days", people relieved their stress and got a lot of self-worth from working with their hands [and probably from not being around blaring TVs in waiting rooms... ahem.] It is his opinion that as our society has grown more technology-based, it has become almost "too efficient", and we do not get such healthy benefits from our daily lives spent at, say, computer keyboards.

Another doctor with whom I discussed this subject some time ago also opined that computers, cell phones, and other technological devices have allowed us to take on more than we can mentally and emotionally handle - we are so productive that we get no necessary "down-time" to ease our souls. We become overwhelmed by all that we can now do, never thinking whether we should be trying to accomplish so much!

So if you've ever wondered why you are inclined to knit while stressed, or if you have noticed that you're becoming "addicted" to knitting, you are not alone: there is a real physical response to the activity that makes you crave it! Just like runners who get an endorphin "high" after a good workout, your body is producing "happy" chemicals every time you pick up those sticks or that spindle, and your body likes the chemical response!

I think needles and yarn should now be covered by insurance for therapy purposes, don't you?

Have a happy day - KNIT or SPIN!

* I choose to have a psyciatrist administer and monitor the antidepressant medications that are recommended by my rheumatologist as part of my fibromyalgia treatment program (the same seratonin that helps ease depression is thought to decrease the pain over-perception that is one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia.) It is my belief that chemicals that alter the brain's activity are best overseen by a doctor who specializes in that area, rather than a GP - your own mileage may vary.

Holiday Countdown

2005-12-07T15:50:00.000-06:00

To Quote...

"Some kids do what you say. Some kids do what you say do not do. But all kids do what you do."

St. Benedict's Community Meal Program

Ohmigosh, St. Ben's needs socks, hats, and other knit items for the homeless! Look here and here. I know what I'll be knittin' in the new year...

What I Am Thinking Today...

We all wish for Peace in the world, especially at this time of year. But doing your best for Peace doesn't necessarily mean going on a protest march...

It means not rolling your eyes when an old lady asks to go in front of you in the grocery checkout line because she has only two items... and when she then spends ten minutes arguing with the cashier about a discount and digging for exact change in her coin purse.

It means not losing your temper with the confused part-time holiday help at a busy restaurant.

It means letting someone exiting the mall merge into your lane of traffic, and not getting upset when they don't respond with "the courtesy wave".

It means not being so busy cooking things for your family holiday meal that you start ignoring day-to-day conversations with your family members.

Let there be Peace on earth... and let it begin with me. Silently. Without attention drawn to myself. In small ways. That is my prayer today.

The only thing Peace protests achieve is making the protesters feel like they're in the spotlight... and making things more confrontational. Confrontation is not peace. Peace sometimes means keeping your mouth shut. God, grant me the grace to do that more often!

Tori keeping Fiona warm.

Free And Easy Pattern

Now, I know I cannot be the originator of this pattern, as I have seen examples of it elsewhere. But I did make this particular model up for myself, with complicated math help (involving sine and cosine!) from Nan and Jack. THANKS! I so cannot do anything math-related, though DH is patiently trying to teach me cribbage this week...

Anyway, I'd like to share the pattern with you in case you need a last-minute holiday gift.

This thing is EZ-PZ but looks cool. This yarn is a little lighter than worsted weight, I'd guess a DK. It is a limited edition Brooks Farm colorway, which Kary sent to me. I don't know the type, but I think it is one blended with silk - it is not Four Play, for sure, as it's thinner and glossier than that (though that stuff is wonderful, too!) It must be either Duet or Harmony.

By the way, Miss Kary has some of her lovely handmade batts and handpainted sock yarns available now - take a peek! Her charity of choice for a portion of her profits this year is Noah's Wish!

I cast on 34 stitches onto size 9s (US). Gauge is approximately 4.5 sts. per inch (in pattern), but it doesn't really matter - just use appropriate needles for the weight of the yarn you choose. Cast on a few more sts. if you use a finer yarn, a few less if you use a bulkier yarn.

The first stitch of every row is knit.

Row 1: K1, then (K2, P2) across. In last stitch, Kfb to make one extra stitch (35 sts.)

Row 2: K1, then work sts. as presented (K the k sts. and P the p sts. as they appear to you). At last 2 sts., change mount of first if necessary, then K2tog to decrease one stitch (34 sts. again).

Row 3: K1, then (P2, K2) across. In last st., Kfb again to make one (35 sts.)

Row 4: K1, then work sts. as presented. At last 2 sts., change mount of first if necessary, then K 2 tog. (34 sts.)

This ends up making a slanting diagonal scarf... but the "point" is automatic (one corner of the cast-on edge); the scarf hangs rotated at 90 degrees (or is it 45? I told you I was bad at ~~math~~ geometry.)

You don't have to worry about running out of yarn whilst having to decrease down to a triangle at the opposite end of the scarf - you just bind off the last row of 34, and you'll end up with your other pointed end automatically (rule of thumb: save enough yarn to measure three times the width you will be binding off, in order to do so. This is a good pattern for leftovers, the yardage of which is uncertain!)

What you are doing is increasing one at the left edge every front side row, and decreasing one at the opposite edge every back side row, and this makes your scarf slant sideways to the left (when the front side is facing you). But when it's rotated and around your neck it looks straight.

I love that the color changes are making zig-zags all the way up.

I guess the pattern is some kind of double seed stitch, or moss stitch? It lays flat and looks woven and the edges are nice because they're knit every row. FUN! And more importantly - fast!

Closeup Of Stitch Pattern

Closeup Of Beautiful Yarn

Remember to be at peace with yourself and others today! Have a wonderful rest of the week.

The Week In Pictures

2005-12-01T14:27:00.000-06:00

Actually, this is about three weeks in pics. My life has consisted of taking Fiona to Madison for her radiation treatments every day. She is doing great. I am falling apart.

Fi received a wonderful jacket from her Auntie Alicia!
Doesn't she look like Paddington Bear?

Auntie Alicia also sent a fun new toy.

Fi is embarrassed to show you where "X" marks her radiation spot.

But Fi is pleased to show you her new L.L. Bean bag.
That is the only knitting I've been able to focus on this week - a scarf out of Brooks Farm yarn (limited edition colorway gifted to me by Kary).
My brain is so fried I can't even make a scarf. I am NOT a 5 a.m. kind of gal!

Lucky for Jeff I finished his Trekking XXL socks
before the driving wore me out.
The yarn is the Medium Gray mix from TheKnitter.com.

I also completed this made-up,
center-out square for a special project which I'll tell you about soon.

Beyond that, this has been my life: driving, driving, and more driving, in all kinds of weather.

WARNING: a couple of not-too-gross photos of successful deer hunts appear below.

It was deer season, and there were lots of these to follow on the highways:

I didn't like being startled by those very much (though I do eat venison) but I enjoyed the lovely scenery... for a while, anyway!

This is the view of the Wisconsin State Capitol building from the grounds of the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where Fiona is receiving her treatments at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (see Fi's technicians working here):

Here are some closer shots. You can see in the second that they have lighted holiday decorations up:

At the hospital, I have gotten to meet lots of wonderful animals - parrots, iguanas, cats, rabbits, the aforementioned capybara (though I didn't actually get to say hello to it), and lots and lots of wonderful dogs. This guy's name is Sebastian and he is all decked out for Christmas. Sebastian is a rescued Great Dane and has a very loving owner. This dog's head was so high off the ground that I had to lift my arm up to pet him!

And then, there are the truly unique patients... this gal was from the same zoo as the capybara:

Fi is doing great - thank you all for your kind wishes and good thoughts for her!!! However, she is a bit tired of all this travel and being anesthetized every day:

As for me, I just need some peace and quiet. One more day of radiation and I can finally sleep in... right now, about all I can do is just stare out the window, and think about how grateful I am that Fi has received such wonderful care.

What's It Worth?

2005-11-18T15:45:00.000-06:00

Poor Anmiryam. She didn't do so well, for some reason, with the "What's Your Blog Worth" meme. Seeing her entry sucked me in, of course:

My blog is worth $14,678.04.
How much is your blog worth?

Sorry, Anmiryam!

'Tis The Season

This would be a really neat gift for the budding fiber artist on your list. It's a pyramid-building marble game that teaches color theory, from Levenger. Click on the link for "more photos" to see it in action.

Grateful For...

Fi successfully completing her first week of radiation therapy! Go, Fi! Our girl is doing well!!!

Our Miss Fiona Fearn of Avondale

The first snow, a dusting which has remained over the dried prairie grasses and naked oaks and birches, and which makes the pine trees stand out beautifully.

Seeing five hawks on the long drive back from the vet hospital.

Breaking down and getting a cell phone in case I literally break down in my 10+ year-old car. The fuel pump is being replaced on Monday which will give me an added sense of security. I really like the TracFone prepaid service since I'm not a big chatter and only need it "just in case". Since Clark Howard recommends it I don't feel (too) guilty about the purchase. I love this tiny little phone - I used its "composer" function to make a ring tone of the James Bond theme - hee hee hee! Ok, must rein in the enthusiasm, must be cool and not a total geek... but this is my first mobile phone! I confess I am too embarrassed to have it ring in public, though, so it's set to "silent" everyplace but the car. There I can play James Bond all I want.

Speaking of embarrassing, if you ever use the very good Eucerin lotion for rosacea, which happens to be

, please do not make the same mistake I did and apply too much and not rub it in, or you, too, will look like Frankenstein in public for five hours before you look in the rearview mirror in daylight and see what you have done! This is what happens to an incoherent person having to get up at 5 a.m. in the dark for a two-hour drive...

The following event, which happened earlier this week (apologies to friends who've already read this):

Then yesterday I thought it was a big deal to see a GIANT iguana. Just the body was about 2-3 feet long and the tail was about 6 feet. He was held against his owner's chest in the waiting room and all the dogs were strangely quiet as they stared at him. It was the BIGGEST iguana I have ever seen... I mean, the body must have been 12" around, at least!

Then on the way out, I saw a truck with a Belgian horse in it in the parking lot - apparently they do the large livestock animals there, right in the city of Madison! I thought they took them to another location, but they are treated there, just blocks from the State Capitol. How neat!

But NO. Those were NOT the most exciting things I saw thus far...

None of them compared to the giant wooden box with holes in it that the four men in tan shirts brought in today, struggling under its weight, and which they placed on the big floor scale in order to weigh the animal inside.

All the ladies with doggies in the waiting room raised their eyebrows in silence, and we glanced nervously at one another. The box looked like something one of those raptor dinosaurs in that movie ("The Lost World"?) would hop out of.

One brave gal spoke up and said, "Um... what have you got in there?"

The zookeepers, for that is what they were, said, "A rodent."

"A rodent???" the ladies all murmured...

"That's a heck of a rodent," the brave gal said.

But by then I had guessed what it was, and I was RIGHT! It was...

A CAPYBARA.

You gotta' have confidence in a veterinary hospital that can treat a capybara. I mean, geez... a CAPYBARA, for crying out loud, with Miss Fi, in the waiting room! (It stayed in the big box, thank goodness!) I read in the hospital's newsletter that they recently pulled a rotten tooth from the zoo's 30-year-old grizzly bear, so I guess Fi is in pretty good hands.

On The Nightstand

"Mistress Of The Elgin Marbles"

"The Portrait of a Lady"

I'm enjoying both so much that it's hard to choose one over the other each night.

I'm also reading "Knit Lit Too" and "Knit Lit The Third" at the vet hospital - the short vignettes are just what's needed when I'm distracted so frequently - today's big attraction was a one-eyed rescued Boston terrier named "Popeye"!

On The iPod

Marie Irshad's KnitCast, of course, but also Coyote Oldman's "House Made Of Dawn". There is nothing so soothing to me as this CD (you can read my complete review of it below the description at Amazon.) I really needed it this week, being too tired and stressed (though remaining positive!) to be able to function very much after the vet trips, and it has kept Fi mellow as well.

On The Needles

Finished one sleeve of the pink Cashmerino Aran top-down raglan t-neck, ready to start sleeve two. This is the second year this sweater has been on the needles. Do you think I will ever finish it? I always think it is easier to do my own projects rather than follow patterns, but I forget that there is math involved - blech!

Working on a secret project I can't share with you yet and almost finished with that - it has been relaxing and portable so good therapy this week.

Finished a pair of Trekking XXL socks in a medium grey for Jeff (BIG feet!) and ordered some long, small needles to do my next pair with the magic loop method, after experimenting on these with a needle that wasn't quite long enough. I also used that technique on the secret project, above, and thereby found out that the concept works quite well to make a flat knitted object, too. Neat! My new 40" needles and the Trekking are from TheKnitter.com - don't forget your Socknitters group membership discount!

Started a sweater for Fiona in red Lion Brand Wool-Ease, to match her red and white UW-Wisconsin collar and new red and white L.L. Bean "college" tote bag (which was the hit of the vet hospital), but had a brain fart on the calculations (no surprise) and will have to do a do-over on this one. I need to get going on it - the weather here has been in the twenties this week, and she can't wear her regular coats because of the IV catheter that must remain in her leg. Can't have a frozen Fi!

Wishing my American friends a wonderful Thanksgiving next week! I plan on spending mine sleeping as Fi will not have an appointment that day. Unfortunately - but I'm grateful for it anyway - she will have had two treatments the previous day, six hours apart. Now that is going to be a long day for us! Hopefully Chef Jeff will have some turkey and stuffing waiting for us when we get back. You should have tasted the curried squash soup he made this week!

A Gift For Fi!

2005-11-11T13:59:00.000-06:00

Fiona received a get-well package from the lovely Nannette and her family, which she promptly opened. You can watch the resulting mayhem here.

She writes...

Dear Auntie Nan and the H. Family,
Thank you SO much for the YUMMY COOKIES! I ate a biscotti first - MY FAVORITE!
Mama and Papa made me share with Val, Tori, and Ches - phooey on them! Everyone LOVED all the delicious smells, shapes, and flavors... and we have enough left to last a LONG TIME... but I keep telling them all, "These are MINE, ALL MINE!!!"
Thank you for my get-well gift! It makes me so happy to know you are thinking of me - I am determined to beat this!
Love and smooches,

Miss Fi

Hello, Stranger

2005-11-09T19:35:00.000-06:00

Thanks so much to you guys who have e-mailed me, wondering where I've been. I appreciate hearing from you very much!

I apologize for not posting sooner. We've been thrown a curveball here at Chez Chef Jeff: our whippet, Fiona, had a tumor removed recently, and it has turned out to be of the Nasty Kind. (Chester had bladder surgery as well, and his waterworks are now 100% and he's back to normal - if the Wild Dog Of Borneo could ever be called "normal"...)

Fi has bounced back well from the surgery and is her usual happy, playful self. You'd never guess she is 12, which is why it was a no-brainer to decide to go ahead with the additional treatments required. I just want to take a moment and publicly say, "Thank you, God," for providing us with the ability to proceed.

Tomorrow, Fi will have a CT scan at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, the Mayo Clinic of dog care. Next week, she will begin 18 daily radiation treatments there. Following that, they will perform a final surgery.

Of course Miss Fi is quite smug about "going to college". She has new red UW collar from Jeff, and I'm knitting her a red coat to keep her snug during the long daily drives. She even has a personalized L.L. Bean "book bag", in the school's red and white colors and with a greyhound embroidered on it, on the way (they are having free shipping from now until Christmas! Lots of dog breeds available!) She will have to pack her lunch and water in there, as she won't be able to eat prior to the procedure each day, so we will have a little picnic in the car before we return home. I'll tuck in her favorite gingerbread man toy, a St. Francis card, pack my knitting and some Ian Bostridge Schubert Lieder CDs, and we'll be good to go.

We've been lighting a candle daily for her. I'm even playing my old pre-surgery guided imagery tapes to relax her (at least they are keeping me relaxed, so she won't pick up on any fearful vibes, so that's a good thing!) If you would be so kind as to keep Miss Fi in your thoughts and prayers, and/or send good energy, we would really appreciate it!

A dear friend of mine, A., has been diagnosed with Lupus. I am all too familiar with autoimmune illnesses, so my heart breaks at what she is experiencing. Her strength, fortitude, and humor during this difficult time are so inspiring. She is a marvelous human being who is incredibly generous to others (especially in the spinning community), and who volunteers endlessly and at great cost for animal welfare. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as well! Thank you!

I'm so excited for the new Harry Potter movie. I can't wait to see it and the new "Pride and Prejudice".

What type of yarn am I?

You are Shetland Wool. You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a
little on the harsh side. Though you look
delicate you are tough as nails and prone to
intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you are
widely respected and even revered.

What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I had a terrible yarn purchasing experience and I wanted to share it with you - not to be negative, but to save you from making the same mistake! A vendor who shall remain nameless (despite terrible "customer service" and awful web photography) charged $10.95 to ship me 7 skeins of Koigu Kersti yarn. I checked the actual UPS shipping costs- $6.02. Well, I guess everyone's entitled to make a profit...

A photo of "this" yarn was posted on their website - peach, lavender, sage, silver. Cool colors.

The yarn arrived, and it was camouflage colors: brown, tan, Army green. Warm colors.

I had several online friends check the photo at the vendors site, on about 7 different computers, and all reported seeing what I saw. I contacted the vendor, and they insisted that, on their company's four recently-calibrated computers, the colors were accurately represented as the camouflage of the actual yarn. I don't know who is calibrating their monitors for them, but they must be colorblind, as my monitor is brand-new and calibrated.

After insisting that their photos and computers were all accurate, condescendingly telling me that one mus allow for "artistic variations" in Koigu yarns (really? To a completely different color family? Why have a photo at all?), and generally taking a tone with me as if I were the Village Idiot, the vendor reluctantly said she'd allow me to return the yarn. However, my request for information about whether they would also refund my shipping costs were ignored, so I kept it.

Perhaps I shall knit some lovely helmetliners for My Soldier and his platoon mates, instead of the shawl I'd wanted to make. Sigh!

Lesson learned (and explained to me by friends who have had similar experiences): Never Buy Koigu Sight Unseen. Do Not Trust Vendor Photos In Catalogs Or Online. Always Requre A Written Text Description Of Colors Before Buying If You Are Determined To Purchase. Ask About Return Policies.

On The Nightstand

Currently reading Tom Jones by Henry Fielding - very bawdy and tongue-in-cheek. Funny. Finished Middlemarch - Thursday, Sept. 29, 1:16 a.m. Started prior to June 17th. Lordy, that one took a long time... I really loved the DVD with Rufus Sewell, though! What a cutie he is.

I finished Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star Gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund in less than a week. Read five chapters at one sitting. Fantastic writing. Amazing book. Please read it. A knowledge of Moby-Dick would be helpful but is certainly not essential... it would be like the combination of Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea.

Must run... Fi needs to have the sutures from her first surgery removed today. What a little trouper she is. Jeff is planning on getting her a giant box of Petit Four Paws from Three Dog Bakery for Christmas, when all this is behind us.

Thank you for your friendship and good thoughts! Have a WONDERFUL day!

Fantasies

2005-09-22T11:23:00.000-05:00

Ooo ooo ooo!

You've probably seen it, but I haven't until today... here it is over at MuggleNet.

In other worlds of make-believe, thanks to Beth:

My pirate name is:

Captain Ethel Flint

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

Ethel? That's SO unfair!

Gratitude

2005-09-20T13:59:00.000-05:00

Thankful For...

My friend Nan. Today is her birthday - Happy Birthday, Nannette!

Look what bloomed for Nannette!

I know you like nature pics, Nan, so these are just for you!

Insect eggs (maybe? Anyone know?) beneath a burr oak leaf.

Wild grapes in the woods.

Apples ready for picking in the orchard.

A horse that lives at the farm behind us, with choke cherry trees in the foreground.

Wild grape leaves turning to red, with blooming goldenrod.

Thankful For...

Comfort food. Homemade tuna salad on sourdough bread, and tomato soup with Penzey's Parisien Bonnes Herbs. Yum!

Whenever I have a grilled cheese or tuna salad sandwich, I have to have Campbell's tomato soup. It's just not the same without it - something left over in the back of my brain from my childhood. There is no wrath like mine if Chef Jeff accidentally buys generic, Progresso, or organic gourmet tomato soup - it must be Campbell's... though Chef Jeff draws the line at a grilled cheese made with Velveeta.

I knew someone who worked for the Post Office who frequently had to deliver mail addressed to a woman named Velveeta J–.

While you're at the Penzey's site you should order their free catalog. It's full of recipes and tips and full-color pics of their lovely spices. I'm not linking to the Velveeta site, if there is one, because I don't even want to know what they put in the stuff.

Thankful For...

Finished objects. Another Leaf Cravat (see previous one here - I believe my colors for these are "Caribou" and "Tobacco", one skein per scarf), from Interweave Knits Winter 02/03, in Louet Gems Merino, and my Cat's Paw scarf (Cherry Tree Hill Suri Alpaca laceweight, "Indian Summer" colorway, one skein).

Paw Prints Closeup

I based the cat's paw scarf on the chart in "Lavish Lace"; their square scarf called for three skeins but I only had one, so I just did another horizontal repeat of the chart's 16 stitch motif, with a small garter-stitch border on each side and at the ends. My gauge was 7 sts./inch on size US 1 needles. I used metal needles and, in future, I would do something like this on size 2 Bryspuns instead - definitely!

Pre-blocked the scarf measured 33" by 9"; after a wet, natural blocking (no pins) it measures 42" by 8.5". The yarn is silky soft and not scratchy against bare skin, and I love that the colors didn't pool.

I'm pleased to say that these three scarves used up stash yarn.

Thankful For...

Being well. Food poisoning is not fun... but at least it doesn't last as long as the flu. There is nothing as wonderful as saltines and mashed potatoes after a day of illness. I think it's because of "Zen eating" - as with the "French Women Don't Get Fat" diet, you are really, really focused on taking one tiny bite at a time. There's no TV to distract you, you're trying not to get crumbs in the bedsheets, and you're hoping the cracker is going to agree with you... it's just you and that saltine, and nothing tastes quite so good! (As with the soup mentioned above, my saltines have got to be Premium brand...)

I know I wanted to lose some weight, but this is not how I intended to do it!

Thankful For...

Nice companies. Got the Norm Thompson catalog today, and they feature a little article about the Imperial Stock Ranch in Oregon. You may have seen their knitting patterns offered at your favorite yarn shops.

Click here to get a glimpse of their Columbia flock and Maremma guard dog, Babe, and then click here to see the cutest little lamb.

Then you have to click here to see the neatest slideshow about their ranch and practices and sheep and dogs. Beautiful photographs!

On page two of the print catalog there's some additional info about the ranch and the people who make the products Norm Thompson carries - it even mentions crocheting and a spinning wheel!

How cool to see a fiber business thrive in such a mainstream way.

Thankful For...

Word to live by.

"...[B]y desiring what is perfectly good, even when we don't quite know what it is and cannot do what we would, we are part of the divine power against eveil – widening the skirts of light and making the struggle with darkness narrower."
~ Dorothea Brooke in "Middlemarch" by George Eliot

I know I promised you pie and butter instructions but the place where those photos are is being changed. All I could do today was upload these pics to a temporary location so I'd have something to show you! They'll be here soon. In the meantime you can start looking for Concord grapes in the shops.

Go wish Nan a happy birthday!

A Tale Of Two Swatches

2005-09-16T00:30:00.000-05:00

Having just turned 40, and (obviously) now having a midlife crisis, I want to make this:

Annie Modesitt's Ribbed Silk Corset
(No Bandwidth Theft Here!)

So I have been swatching. Annie told me that to fit a 40" bust I would want to make the 41.5" size as the (revision five) pattern finished measurements indicate a slightly stretched fabric. None of that makes sense to me but that is what she told me and I believe her!

From the group discussing this project (and the Yarn Harlot's blog), I learned that when doing my swatch I'd want to wash it first, and when blocking it, stretch it just slightly if necessary to meet gauge.

So here are the swatches I whipped up last night, whilst taking a break from my Estonian lace scarf full of the dreaded, deadly nupps (which, I have to say, are becoming much easier as I go):

Click For Close-Up

The swatch on the left is knit from two strands of Elann's Peruvian Baby Silk in Sapphire (their site shows it lighter than it really is). It is unbelievably soft. The swatch needed to be stretched about half its full stretchableness to meet horizontal gauge. I love the feel of the fabric, but... it's slightly see-through.

The swatch on the right is Noro's Silk Garden. It meets the horizontal gauge perfectly without being stretched, which is nice because I'm going to need some extra give-allowance in such a close-fitting garment. The yarn is thicker than the two strands of the alpaca/silk, so it's not see-through. It gives a little extra on the row gauge, which is a good thing as I like ultimate belly coverage and I'm tall. It also probably will not stretch out with repeated wear. However, this stuff is just too scratchy for me to wear next to my skin, and I'm not thrilled with the idea of a wildly-patterned purple corset (there is a reason I picked a subtle, elegant, dark blue in order to minimize certain of my body features!) I think this would make a better Clapotis.

What to do, what to do? I need a thicker worsted yarn that'll hold it's shape well, yet one that is not so thick that it adds poundage to me when I wear the corset top (which I am making with sleeves - we don't want to unintentionally frighten any small children and damage them for life... see previous post about things I would never wear!)

I wonder if one of the KnitPicks worsted cashmere blends would work... I went to the LYS today and despite being listed as a vendor of ArtYarns (and Fiesta Yarns, too) they do not carry the Regal Silk called for in the pattern (or any other yarn by those manufacturers)... nor do I have ready cash for four skeins at $22 each (tho' it is really, really calling to me...) But then we'd run into the wild patterning issue with handpainted yarn again, as well...

Aside: The LYS did just get Bryspun circs in stock so I got one to give it a go, as I like the 10" straights I've been using for lace knitting so much. VERY nice on crabby hands!

I need to ponder this. Suggestions are WELCOME - please comment below!

I have not forgotten pie and butter instructions... coming soon!

Care But Be Careful

2005-09-14T18:50:00.000-05:00

First The Bad News...

I have no idea if the two are related, but I made a bunch of hurricane donations online recently... and my credit card number was stolen and used. So I wanted to give you a heads-up so that if you also donated in the last couple of weeks, you can monitor your credit card statement, or view your account online, and nip any fraudulent charges before they post to your account.

I am pleased to say that I was utterly oblivious to the scammage taking place until my wonderful credit card company called to let me know there was suspicious activity. Apparently, they do not consider it unusual of me to, say, spend $300 on yarn, a Baroque recorder from England, humane society donations, a spinning wheel, or a case of wine... but it did raise concern that I would apparently charge $300 at a Toys'R'Us (and additional amounts at a Wal-Mart) in Houston. (It's kind of scary that they know me so well... and that they don't think I'm weird, and continue to do business with me!)

They called - get that, they called me - to verify the unusual charges, then instantly cancelled my account, and less than 48 hours later I have a new credit card in my wallet. And I'm not responsible for any of the charges.

Aside from this fantastic customer service, my card earns me points for Amazon gift certificates, good on anything Amazon sells. My Amazon purchases themselves earn three times the points. Interested? It's a Chase Amazon card, and right now, I can't recommend it highly enough!

And for the person who may have gotten my number through my donations, somehow, I have only this to say: you are responsible for your own karma and it is probably twice as bad, karma-cally speaking, to steal off of someone's donation money. Just sayin'! If you would have asked I would have bought you what necessities you needed... but I sure don't think Toys'R'Us carries milk and bread.

See My Nupps!

Those bloody Estonians, inventing knitted nupps to drive us all insane. Do you know how hard it is to purl through seven loops, using white needles and knitting with white yarn?

Nupp-erpillars
Estonian Scarf
InKnitters, Summer, 2005
Karabella Lace Mohair

I think I'm getting this nupp thing down: make the loops very, very loose, and use a needle with a very skinny tip like these Bryspuns so that purling through them will be easier.

Some great tips I have learned from multiple "lace fairies" of late:

Pull down on the row below the stitch you're knitting next, to make the loops line up properly on your needle, and to make needle insertion easier;
Wind your yarn into a ball not once, but twice, under no tension (tug the strand you're going to be winding out from the purchased ball before winding it);
Forget about pulling the strand from the center of your ball - it will collapse. Take it from the outside. To do this,
put your ball in a bowl so that it doesn't roll or become compressed from being handled. Don't touch it!

I'm not sure I'm doing the nupps right but I guess they look ok.

Jeff saw this yarn and asked, "What are you knitting, spiderwebs?" Yeah, it about feels like spiderwebs, let me tell ya'.

Birthday Pics

This is what 40 looks like hereabouts:

Me with my raspberry cheesecake and vintage glow.
That would be wine vintage, not age!

Jeff made an awesome dinner but unfortunately I only got a pic of the scallop appetizer, made with a Mick's pepper jelly sauce (the stuff is great on any kind of meat or seafood!):

What To Do Now?

You've donated money (and are being vigilant about watching your credit card statement!), you've knit your squares for afghans and washcloths... but you still feel the need to help victims in the Gulf Coast. Or maybe you'd like to volunteer locally because your awareness of need has been heightened. So, what to do?

The President asked us, in his weekly radio address (I listen on my iPod), to go here to help. Whether you love animals or old people, kids or trees, you'll find many opportunities to make a difference, locally and nationally.

No matter what party's President is in office, Americans would do well to listen to the weekly radio address, rather than getting some reporter's version of what was said (or worse, not hearing anything at all about it). We need direct information to make up our minds about issues, not interpretations by radio talk show hosts, newspapers, or magazines focused on maximizing advertising dollars. We also need direct communications with our representatives, so be sure and check out the websites of yours.

No radio stations here carry the Presidential broadcast, though, so I am glad to see it's now available as a podcast.

Speaking of what's on the iPod, I've been playing this (track one) over and over and over... it really is magical. Jeff and I have been hunting down the music and after a fervent e-mail to the Flanders Recorder Quartet somewhere in the Netherlands, we have the title and have ordered it from Beethoven & Company. Hopefully we'll be able to play it when it gets here, instead of staring numbly at all the notes. (I often stare numbly at the notes of music Jeff wants to play.)

On the nightstand:

On the needles:

Estonian lace scarf, InKnitters, Summer 2005
Artful Yarns "Fable" purple top-down raglan T
Debbie Bliss "Cashmerino Aran" rose top-down ribbed raglan turtleneck
Up next? Just wait until you see my Fern Garden stole pattern!

In the kitchen:

Apple turnovers, inspired by the latest King Arthur Flour catalog's recipe. Made with organic, whole-wheat pastry flour and topped with organic whipped cream, they were fantastic - quick and relatively easy to make (I skipped the recipe's sauce and "winged" the rest of it based on what I had) and they filled the house with the scent of fall - cinnamon and cloves. Yum!

In the yard:

Massive wind and rain storms last night - exceeding 70 mph. Branches are down, my hibiscus toppled, but luckily the bee banner I have on my flagpole didn't rip its bracket off the house. I'm grateful that the computer and hair dryer still work despite (or because of) their surge protectors being set off. Much cooler temps today... phew! Mother Nature must've wanted to clean house before fall.

CMeKnit tagged her readers with a meme, so here you go, and I tag YOU:

Ten years ago: Owner and marketing executive of a national real estate property management company. Wear suits, drive a convertible. Buy house in the country.

Five years ago: Recovering from hostile takeover of said company. Dealing with chronic illness and spine injury. Spinning and knitting becoming my focus as I am housebound for many months. Dealing with horrible neighbor kid's regular, late-night parties taking place every weekend while his parents go up north (parents don't care, but sheriff does!) Not driving anything - can't! Conception of Spindlers taking shape...

One year ago: Gardening, gardening, and more gardening as I fall in love with roses. Meet wonderful friends from Spindlers at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival. Pets are my constant joy. Cooking organically, making and doing as much as possible from scratch. Trying to be positive and spread good energy. Pilates fiend. Driving the Pup Truck (minivan with "SPINNER" on the license) for limied engatements to vet appointments and yarn shops.

Five snacks: organic chocolate; East Shore seasoned pretzels with East Shore mustard (coarse with dill); popcorn with Penzey's Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle; organic blue corn chips; warm juusto cheese.

Five songs I know all the words to: Most of the music I listen to either doesn't have words or the words are in foreign languages, but as far as pop music... "Train In Vain" by The Clash; "There Were Three Ravens" performed by the Baltimore Consort; "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson; "Sk8ter Boi" by Avril Lavigne; "This Must Be The Place" by Talking Heads. I make up words to Gilbert & Sullivan songs, inserting the names of my pets. I am obsessed with rhyming.

Five things I would do with $100 million:
1) Buy myself a senator and get animal testing and experimentation made illegal in the United States.
2) Donate to the best animal shelters in the country - Monadnock in NY comes to mind first, as well as the Northwoods Wildlife Center and the Wildlife In Need Center here in Wisconsin.
3) Make ethical investments in "green" funds to encourage development of sustainable energy sources.
4) Install a real wine cellar for my husband and buy him a cembalo or a virginal or whatever antique musical instrument it is he's always going on about.
5) Buy myself a JEEP and some comfortable cowboy boots.

We recently saw this very unusual chair in a furniture store - it looked "Siamese" as it was sort of like a basket on a pedestal, with a tall, pointy top (like, ceiling height). Ok, imagine a giant turnip made out of wicker and you pretty much get it. You entered in this hole cut out of the front, and sat on a cushion. If I had any left money over I would buy that $1,200 chair for my whippet, Fiona, who is 12 and not getting any younger. She would love that chair.

Five places to run away to: The big hotel in Banff, Canada, that serves tea every afternoon. Knightsbridge in London for shopping and more tea. A hunting lodge in Scotland. Maritime Canada. Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Five things I would never wear: Wonder Bra. Belly-exposing top. Triangle shawl. High heels. Sleeveless top.

Five favorite TV shows: Masterpiece Theater, Mystery!, Ballykissangel, Antiques Roadshow, Scientific American Frontiers. Just plug me in to PBS...

Five biggest joys: Ref Chef Jeff, my fiber friends (and EWE know who EWE are), my beloved pets, Nature, fiber arts.

Five favorite toys: iPodling, computer, glorious wood handspindles, cocktail shaker, KitchenAid mixer. If I had an immersion blender I would love it, too!

Five people to pass this on to: Kary, Pamela, Nannette, Claudia, Nanette. You're it!

Oh dear, it looks like Claudia has had a mishap...

Happy Birthday To Me!

2005-09-08T12:51:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday. If you are struck by the urge to send me good wishes or a small gift, I shamelessly ask you to consider, please, clicking below instead!

Click To Donate - Please Give Anything You Can! THANK YOU!

I am grateful to all my friends and family who have donated on my behalf and who have sent gift checks enabling me to donate. My pets and I are all so lucky - it is humbling and gratifying to be of aid to help those who are not.

I awoke to some wonderful gifts...

Birthday greetings from my beloved poochinis:

And a snail vine that blossomed. Here are some photos of the Vigna Caracalla in its glory! I purchaed it as a bare root from Monticello (if you don't see it for sale there, just jot them an e-mail about it), and kept it alive indoors all winter, though one could let the plant die back in the fall and just store the root inside.

Click the images to see larger versions.

Click Me

Look what came in today's mail - a GIANT birthday card!

What have we inside?

A fuzzy bee pen, Birthday Princess headgear, Sister Mary Merlot cocktail napkins (I love Sister Mary Merlot and Sister Mary Margarita, don't you? And Mother Shoperior rules!), a foam birthday cake (perfect for my diet!), and sparkly "40"s that flew everywhere and made me grin. THANK YOU!

And what do we find here? Such wonderful surprises!

The book "Heirloom Knitting" which I've been seriously lusting after - autographed! - a Fiddlesticks lace kit with gorgeous mahogany yarns, and fun origami bookmark kit! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

And here is a surprise I was not at all expecting - a box of FREEBIES from KnitPicks! I don't know how I happen to rate, but I guess it pays to be on their customer list! Look at all these tempting goodies - and that purple one, oh my!

Click Me To Enlarge The Goodies!

From the top, clockwise, we have:
Panache in Coal - a soft soft soft cashmere blend;
Palette in Purple - this stuff would be great for Fair Isle work or colorful socks - which I thought to myself before reading the description!;
Suri Dream in Strawberry - one skein of this alpaca blend will make a big scarf on US size 13 needles. Again, sooooo soft!;
Ambrosia in Mint - and alpaca/cashmere blend - yum!;
Shadow in Redwood Forest - I already have a bunch of this in my stash, ready to go for some Fiber Trends scarf and moebius patterns - maybe it'll be the same dye lot! Lovely laceweight Merino;
Decadence in Tan, a nice chubby yarn of superfine alpaca;
Gossamer in Trail, more of the laceweight Merino, this time hand-dyed;
Twirl in Fog, a super bulky alpaca blend which, as KnitPicks says, reminds one of a vintage curly lamb coat;
and finally, Sierra in Wild Rose, a nice, durable-feeling bulky yarn.

After snuggling all these scrumptiously soft wonders, I am just stumped as to how they can keep their prices so low. As so many of their yarns include alpaca fiber, I'm hoping that they're working directly with alpaca owners in second- and third-world countries to help sustain local economies. I guess we don't have to spend $15 a ball, as some manufacturers would have us believe, for high-quality yarns! I've always loved KnitPicks and with this surprise package, they have a customer for life! THANK YOU!

I bought myself a little birthday gift - this Nielsen CD, which also arrived in today's mail. Every time I heard a certain movement on the radio it stirred my soul, but I had a difficult time tracking it down (buying several other works by Nielsen, mistakenly, in the process!) I finally have the piece I love - Bohmisk-dansk folketone: Paraphrase for strygeorkester - Andante con moto. If you like Ralph Vaughan Williams, you will probably enjoy Carl Nielsen.

The Cherry Tree Hill Suri Alpaca Lace ("Indian Summer") cat's paw scarf proceeds, but very slowly on the US size one needles. I had just gotten some Bryspuns before starting this project and was enjoying using them, but alas, they do not make them this small, so I'm having to use metal needles and not liking it one bit, no indeedy.

I am sure this one ball is going to make a huge scarf. It already stretches to almost double its length, so I'm sure with blocking it'll be plenty big. It is wonderfully silky and soft.

It's perched on one of our music stand - indispensable for knitting lace from charts! A stand makes it so easy to view and mark off your pattern, and there's a shelf underneath for stitch markers and pencils. In a million years, I couldn't knit lace without a music stand. We ordered ours online and they were less than $30 apiece - and yes, we use them for playing music, too!

That is a Colinette Ab Fab throw on the back of my chair. It is light but very warm and wonderful to curl up in.

I'm thinking my next project will be the Fiddlesticks Lily Of The Valley Stole in some Knitpicks alpaca in a moss green, or the Kiri (easier than Rowan's Birch) shawl - PDF here - in Rowan KidSilk Haze in Dewberry (a yummy deep lavender). On Bryspuns! But then again, I have that new Fiddlesticks kit, and the "Heirloom Knitting" book to peruse... sigh! So many wonderful choices!

I am working on a photo essay of instructions on how to make homemade butter and a grape pie... watch for them in my next entry!

The blessings of now being 40 are these: it is better than being 16 and in high school with all the angst; I no longer feel like a child in my parents' eyes; I am 40 now and not 30 years ago, which means I can get away with long hair, bluejeans, and wearing purple a lot; I am more likely to accept my shortcomings and those of others as I have lost my idealistic attitude along my time travels; Denise will always be older than I (hee hee hee!)

But it still feels weird. I know age is only a number, but why is it I now feel middle-aged? I think there's a cure for that:

Park Avenue

1.5 measures gin (works great with Hendrick's)
.5 measure cherry brandy
.5 measure fresh-squeezed lime juice
.25 measure maraschino (a cherry liqueur)

Shake all ingredients well with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry and add a thin slice of lime. Delightfully pink.

Those Who Can, Do...

2005-09-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

Click Me If You Can Do!

Those who can't (or won't, or don't), criticize, point fingers, and make futile attempts to place blame...

And get removed from my blogroll.

I don't know about you, but I think there's enough negativity happening right now without sending any more hateful, hurtful, and unhelpful thoughts into the world. I can best take care of myself, my family, my community, my country, and my planet if I take positive action, think positive thoughts, and send out positive energy. I hope you'll join me! (And we should have compassion for the blameful... for whatever happened in their lives that makes them now jump to illogical, conspiracy-theory conclusions out of some kind of self-defensiveness. It must be truly sucky to have a head full of negativity all the time and I'm truly sorry for them.)

When you come here, and when you visit the sites I mention and the blogs in my blogroll, you will see the good there is in the world, from good people. Life's too short to be a crabass (or haven't we learned anything from recent events?)

I bet you could use a little positivity yourself! There is still beauty in the world - no matter what, there always will be. Take that to heart while you soak in some of the harvest beauty in my vicinity:

Crisp fall apples.

This is what a clematis turns into after blooming!

Concord grapes on the vine.

Jeff is going to make a Concord grape pie tomorrow!

Vigna Caracalla - a "snail vine" from Monticello.

Crabapples - for those crabby folks out there... ;-)

TV news isn't good for you. It will stress you out, give you a stomachache, and make you crab at your kids or dog.

Stop watching. Now.

Go live your day and be grateful for all you have and enjoy. Be kind to those around you. After you have clicked one of the buttons at the top, of course. :-)

Katrina Victims Need Your Help For Their Pets!

2005-09-02T23:05:00.000-05:00

UPDATED - SEE END

Companion animals are not accepted into shelters for human victims of hurricane Katrina. Families are enduring even more trauma as they are being forced to be separated from the beloved pets whom they've tried to rescue.

Click To Donate - Please Give Anything You Can! THANK YOU!

The National Guard has set up a temporary shelter where pets are being given food and water.

Police officer Rebecca Ruspoli helps three dogs
stranded on a damaged roof on Wed.
(Photo by Andy Nelson/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images)

The Humane Society of the United States Disaster Animal Response Teams have depoloyed to the regions affected:

The HSUS DART team is working with the Mississippi State Veterinarian’s Office and gathering resources in Jackson. A pet-friendly shelter and emergency animal shelter have been set up at the Coliseum in Jackson, and have taken in dozens of companion animals, with many more rescues to follow. The Veterinarian’s Office and animal rescue teams plan to provide shelter for many more animals from the surrounding areas. Our teams are moving southward and working to reach the most troubled areas of Gulfport and Biloxi.
As New Orleans Superdome evacuees arrive in Houston, many of them will be sheltered in the Astrodome. The Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals is arranging accommodations for the pets of people who are staying in Houston-area shelters and preparing for the influx of more animals. HSUS volunteers are helping transport animals from evacuees arriving at the Astrodome and ferrying them to the temporary shelter, which will be fully operational by Friday.

The HSUS Southwest Regional Office has been in contact with the state veterinarian and is working closely with the Louisiana SPCA on the ground in Louisiana. Pets are now being accepted at several stations, with plans in place for others as the need arises.

Please download one of their banners for your own blog HERE, upload it to your server, and link the image to the HSUS donations page with this URL.

Need some good news about animal rescues? Go here:

Click Here To Help Even More!

Is all the news-watching making you nervous, shoppie, and longing for something new to knit? After making your donations, go soothe your soul at WEBS - through September 10th, they're donating 10% of purchases to the American Red Cross. Don't feel guilty - you won't do anyone any good if you don't get your fiber time in today! Make each stitch a prayer or thought of good energy for those in need, rather than wasting time with useless worry and finger-pointing. Positive thoughts will help bring about speedy, positive results - so get meditating!

UPDATE to You Can Help!

2005-09-01T19:56:00.000-05:00

UPDATE If you want to learn of the safety of family or friends affected by Katrina, or can provide resources to those displaced (perhaps offer temporary housing at your place for those with kids or pets?), or if you want to find out about volunteer opportunities, please see Craig's List.

Over 260 animals from the Louisiana SPCA have been moved to the Houston SPCA, and they would really appreciate your financial assistance - especially as there's probably no Louisiana SPCA to which they can be returned. Please join me in making a donation here!

You can help human hurricane vicitms by donating to the Red Cross through this Amazon.com link. (The Red Cross does not accept pets in their shelters, as they have enough to deal with.)

Other ways to help companion animals in the region are through PETsMART Charities or through the Humane Society of the United States relief fund.

Pride

Pride is not always a "bad" thing. Pride is justified when you've done something good. So you'll have to indulge me in a bit of bragging today, as I've lots about which I'm proud.

My baby sister was featured in our hometown newspaper for her work in the film industry. You can read about it here and here. I guess her film accomplishments are a bit more impressive than the fact that she made it into the Elm Leaves, but still, it was neat.

In the same timeframe, my brother, who runs a letter service business (bulk mail), was pictured with the Postmaster General. Here's the picture. We are stamp collectors, so that seems fairly cool to dorky old us. It's like meeting the Mick Jagger of the USPS. Hope Jim didn't hold out his arm and a Sharpie and ask the guy for his autograph...

Personally, I got my head all puffed up wtih pride just because a question I asked was featured in Wendy's blog. Yes, that Wendy. I was blushing at my 15 minutes of knitting fame!

Summer Of Lace

growing collection of lace knitting patterns

As if that weren't enough - and, dare I even admit this? - a voicemail question of mine was featured in the MuggleCast podcast, Episode Four (you can hear me at around 37 minutes into the show). Me, and 11-year-old "Yoda" - how embarrassing is this, considering I'll be 40 in mere days? That's what I get for getting sucked into listening to the Jim Dale unabridged version of Harry Potter Book 6 on my iPod... you get used to it being there, and before you know it, you want more, and suddenly you're subscribing to a podcast run by kids who aren't even out of high school. (Oooo, look, Ralph Fiennes is going to play Voldemort in "Goblet Of Fire".... oh, sorry...)

In the ultimate expression of dorky pride, I'm pleased to announce that my first podcast has hit the "airwaves". You can find it at iTunes by searching for "Stasia" or go here to subscribe/download directly. If you're going to listen to it, do please download it to your computer, as the server where it's stationed doesn't have a lot of transfer allowance for repeated playbacks. Thanks!

The podcast was a good learning experience but a lot of work (scripting, interviewing, composing music, recording and editing) and as I've exhausted the only topic I can think of doing a podcast about, there may not be another one unless I receive some good suggestions... you can e-mail them to me at podcast AT charter DOT net.

The main person I'm proud of is this guy, Sgt. Chris:

MySoldier.com matched me up with him and we are e-mail and snail-mail penpals. I get to wear the nifty red bracelet to show my support of him. He is a really brave guy, as his job is to go out and detonate bombs that insurgents plant, before they kill anyone. He has saved literally thousands of lives. He is very positive about, and proud of, his missions, and fiercely protective of the men for whom he's responsible.

MySoldier.com is a non-political means whereby we can provide direct support and comfort to U.S. troops helping out in high-risk zones. You are matched with a soldier by telling a director about your interests; Sgt. Chris loves music, as we do, and he has three dogs back at home, so we had common ground from which to start a dialogue. Our correspondence has helped me to understand current events by communicating directly with someone involved, rather than by reading about someone's opinion of them in media outlets with one agenda or the other.

Human beings, one to one. A person to whom I can send knitted helmetliners and neck coolers and Rush CDs. I can relate to that on a human level, instead of a political one. Because I cringe at politics - or at what ~~discussions~~ shouting matches of positions have done to polarize our great country. Discussing politics doesn't change a darned thing, but giving emotional and crafty support to a guy who is willing to lay his life on the line for me - whatever war we may find ourselves in, and whatever its causes, notwithstanding - that has meaning for me.

Here are some more helmetliner and neck cooler links:

http://www.west-point.org/family/support-our-troops/neck_cooler_directions.html

http://watersorb.com/polymer_cool_neck_bands.htm

http://www.operationhomefront.org/Community/knitters.shtml

http://www.geocities.com/helmetliner/

And here's the button I made for the HelmetHeadsKAL group - steal it, put it on your server and blog, and join the list!

In Other News...

So, prior to doing the podcast, I discovered iTunes. How danergous is it that I can download, for a buck apiece, just the "good songs" from The Essential Clash? (OK, so they're all good...) And podcasts for free? I'm in deep doo-doo now.

This must be the weirdest iPod playlist ever: Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, Talking Heads, The Clash, and Elgar's "Pomp & Circumstance". What a dork I am (as previously mentioned).

Wendy over at Knit And Tonic turned me on to Madeleine Peyroux - Amazon has a couple free downloads of her smoky music, reminiscent of Billie Holiday, if you want to give it a try.

While we're on the subject of Itunes and podcasts and music in general, Jeff's company is distributing this handy book, a copy of which he (so sweetly) brought home for me yesterday:

Click Me

I finally ordered a new French press for coffee and tea - love it, love it, love it! This thing is fantastic and I can't break it like the others. Woo hoo!

In Fibery News...

I'm still putting off continuing the top-down raglans (two of them). I don't know why this underarm body/arm split is freaking me out so. I've read about it, I understandit... but fear of failure makes me instead focus on...

Lace! This is a Cat's Paw patterned scarf in Cherry Tree Hill's Suri Alpaca laceweight yarn in the "Indian Summer" colorway. I'm making it up based on a similar pattern in the book "Lavish Lace":

I've knit two Leaf Cravats from an the Winter 02/03 issue of Interweave Knits in Louet Gems Merino superwash yarn - one is shown below after blocking, but before weaving in the ends:

I had to replenish my lace yarn after those, of course. These goodies are from KnitPicks - the Alpaca Cloud is to die for - and so inexpensive! The colorway (on the right) is "Moss" - I have "Iris" as well and it is fabulous.

Speaking of lace knitting, have you seen the lace patterns that Nancy Bush of The Wooly West (Knitting on the Road - Sock Patterns for the Traveling Knitter; Folk Knitting in Estonia - a Garland of Symbolism, Tradition and Technique; Folk Socks) has had published in recent knitting magazines? Well, as it happens, you can expect more from her - an Estonian lace book is due in 2007 or 2008! She writes,

"I will do my best to get it done as soon as possible!"

Go, Nancy!

We finally have our third replacement digital camera, and this one appears to work - I give you some unretouched photos from our practice "roll". The end of summer sure is beautiful here in Wisconsin. Hope your days are as lovely!

Finally Finished!

2005-08-14T00:13:00.000-05:00

Ceatures Of The Reef Shawl

The Summer Of Lace bug finally bit me in the butt and... well, two years after beginning the Creatures Of The Reef Shawl from Fiddlesticks Knitting, I am pleased to say that is is finished!

Unblocked Shawl Fresh Off The Needles

Keep in mind - the actual knitting time was about two to three weeks - the rest of the time the project was "aging" in the wool cellar while I was distracted. It feels so good to have completed it.

Blocked And Beautiful

Detail Of Sea Creatures

I'm 5'7" so you can judge how large this is.
I am not usually such a sourpuss - it was a looooong day!

Dorothy's patterns are so well-written, and her charts so clear, that jumping right into another is just too tempting. Can you believe that, except for two small, simple scarves in Feather And Fan and Razor Shell, this is my first real lace project? Thanks, Dorothy!

I've already swatched for my next project - another by Fiddlesticks. It's the Lacy Lattice Stole in a grey kid mohair:

We subscribe to a local organic farm from June through November. Every week, we get a huge box of whatever's in season:

This Week's Box
The Bigger Cantaloupe Is About The Size Of My Head!

What was included this time? 6 ears of the best sweet corn, 1 yellow squash, 2 zucchini (more were available but frankly, I'm zucchini'd out), 2 melons, yummy cherry tomatoes, 5 regular tomatoes, 2 green peppers, 2 onions, 1 leek, 2 types of salad, 4 cucumbers, a big bag of carrots, and a large bunch of curly parsley. Should I make you really jealous and tell you that we also signed up for artisan bread and organic chickens as well?

The price comes out to less than we'd pay in the grocery store, we save on fuel costs and make fewer shopping trips, the food is of higher quality than stuff that's traveled by truck to the store, we support someone doing a good job for the environment, and we even get to go visit the chickens - what a great deal all around.

Wish you could subscribe in your area? You probably can! Visit this link for community supported agriculture in your neighborhood.

I leave you with some quotes that have stirred me this week (yes, I'm still reading "Middlemarch"!):

"The best piety is to enjoy - when you can. You are doing the most then to save the earth's character as an agreeable planet. And enjoyment radiates. It is of no use to try and take care of all the world; that is being taken care of when you feel delight - in art or in anything else. Would you turn all the youth of the world into a tragic chorus, wailing and moralizing over misery? [Then] I suspect that you have some false belief in the virtues of misery, and want to make your life a martyrdom."
~ Will Ladislaw in "Middlemarch" by George Eliot <----Cheat and see the DVD!

"Great minds discuss ideas.
Average minds discuss events.
Small minds discuss people."

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

"There are times in our daily lives when, by a word or a gesture, we can legitimize and encourage those around us. We should take every opportunity to do so - it means so much, and costs so little."
~ Annie Modesitt, "Confessions Of A Knitting Heretic"

Have a great day!

Fun With Photos

2005-08-06T00:50:00.000-05:00

We got a new digital camera... twice. We're trying out a third to see if this one is broken, too.

These photos were all taken with my old camera, which means I've had to transfer the pics from a 3.5" disk to a CD on the old computer, then edit them on the new computer with the new version of my old software, which I'm still learning how to use. (Sometimes I cheat and do the editing on the old computer where there aren't so many options to confuse me!) Perhaps someone can tell me how to make my photo borders see-through? I know where the option is - just not what to choose!

I got it - a .jpg has to have a matted background to match the page color. A .gif can be made transparent. Photoshop Elements 3 is a great program with a great Help feature!

You see why I haven't had updates for you lately?

First, I need to show you our mushrooms - these are the second crops of shiitakes and pink oysters from our kits. We're getting to be pros at this now, and have moved the mushroom farm from our bathroom into am indoor, humidity-controlled greenhouse instead. Jeff's already eyeing up space for more kits...

Second Crop Of Pink Oyster Mushrooms, Photo Through Plastic Tent

The Mushroom Hut

Shiitakes With Seared Tuna - YUM!
Stunt Lemon For Size Perspective
(I grew that lemon!)

Jeff has shared his mushroom recipe on my podcast. It might be a while before that goes live; I now find I have to replace the CD drive in my computer - yes, the new computer. Sigh!

Well, some additional time might be good, as the podcast so far is all about mushrooms. I need to find some relation between fungi and fiberarts to make it interesting for you guys. Six degrees from shiitakes to sheep - can it be done?

I'm very pleased to say that I have finished my Clapotis! It was knit with Brooks Farm Yarn Four Play in the "Classy" colorway. Took a bit less than three skeins (might be enough for a hat left over...?)

The pattern was a pleasure to knit, with just enough in terms of changes to keep it interesting, and an easy repeat so that I could listen to Harry Potter on the iPod (something that did not work when I picked up my Creatures Of The Reef lace shawl after a year's sabbatical... can we say LIFELINES FROM NOW ON?)

easy

you, too, can do it!

here

"I'm a lone Clapotis..."

"...on the wild prairie..."

"...I hear the hummin' of the bees..."

"...and the yippin' coyotes. Yippie kai yai yay..."

I promise not to write a song about mushrooms for the podcast.

One thing I did differently was to ignore the many markers the pattern called for and instead make the "to be dropped" stitch a purl instead of a knit. Instant marker - and it's going to come out later anyway. So much easier! For more info on the modification, join the Clapotisknitalong2005 group.

And since I knit Eastern Uncrossed style, I had to mentally replace the instructions for knitting into the backs of the stitches on either side of those purls with "knit a crossed stitch". Once I figured out how to adapt the pattern to my unorthodox style, I was off and running. (Thanks, Nannette and Kary, for the help!)

Those who block their Clapotiises against the advice of pattern author Kate Gilbert are missing the wonderful draping and curling that give this scarf-stole such life. Put it purl-side out, let it snuggle itself around you, and forget trying to steam it into a parallelogram - let alone a rectangle!

I've been working on software and hardware fixes for a couple of weeks now. I've been learning new computer applications, getting frustrated with a few new digital cameras, having to replace things hither and yon, listening to the new Harry Potter on my iPod, and trying to keep up with yardwork and housework and pet-momming to boot. Never mind having to rip out several rows of a lace shawl due to my own stupidity. [Bashing Self On Head Like Dobby: "Stitch markers! Lifelines!"]

And now it's very late and for the life of me I'm too tired to do the HTML code to make a list of photos into pop-ups to save you loading time on this page a la Claudia, and so I beg your pardon and instead leave you with some captionless photos of the beauty around here that I've been so grateful for of late. We've had high heat and little rain, but life abounds "on the wild prairie".

Have a GREAT weekend, and I hope the loading time doesn't make you want to kill me. I tried to make the file sizes small.

Testing Haloscan

2005-08-01T17:13:00.000-05:00

Nannette started using Haloscan comments. Tag-Board seems to have been holding up my blog of late, and the Blogger comments don't have trackback, so I've decided to give it a shot, too.

In knitting news I had to rip out about 10 rows of lace. You don't want to know...

And on top of that I had to go to the dentist. What a day.

Yarny updates and (hopefully) my first podcast coming soon.

Mushrooming Updates

2005-07-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

It seems I've waited too long to post - things have been mushrooming up all over around here... not the least of which are the pink oyster mushrooms from Fungi Perfecti!

The kit came last week and Jeff soaked it as required. We put it in plastic planter pot base, tented it with the provided bag over some inverted wire hangers, and away we went:

Soaked Foundation

Tented For Humidity Control

First "Sprouts"

A Few Days Later...

One Day Later...

Another Day Later - WOW!

This type of mushroom requires indirect light, so we have them in the bathroom, near the window - the shower humidity helps keep them growing.

If you have little patience for gardening, or antsy kids needing summertime entertainment, I'd highly recommend this kit! Looks like we'll be eating these beauties in less than a week.

Summer always brings back my strongest childhood memories. Did you ever lie on the grass and stare up through a canopy of leaves?

I remember running through the sprinkler, squealing with delight as the sprayer rotated and the fan of water tipped towards me. Did you ever try to cover up the sprayers with your hands, only to get a faceful of water? I can even recall my red and white seersucker bathing suit, the 1960s elastic so tight it almost cut off the circulation in my legs!

We have been having to spray the yard to germinate the grass seed put down by the septic folks. This little guy (and lots of birds) have been enjoying running through the sprinkler this year:

Fun Thing Of The Day

I happened to see the perfect bed for the knitter with too much yarn stash. Take a peek here.

Idea Of The Day

I've been reading on various blogs that parents are quite overwhelmed at having their kids home for summer vacation. The adults seem somehow paralyzed by the fact that their children expect to be entertained; they've become unruly, rude and obnoxious; or they're just plain bored.

So I'd like to offer some suggestions to help parents teach kids to be independent and thereby use the summer vacation as a construcive time. Isn't that better than just numbly observing the wee beasties as they act like a group of bonobos? These ideas are based upon this premise: if children are acting like a pack of wild animals, they either need more attention, or more responsibility, or more exercise, or less TV!

Stasia's Suggestions For Kids Home From School:

Mushroom kits! Also mushroom identifying books.
Junior cookbook (to cook mushrooms, or at least breakfast for the family).
Local summer recreation program or library reading program - check your city hall for details. Hint: if you have more than one kid, enroll them in different programs at different times so they're not all home at once to fill up their time by practicing new insults on one another.
Volunteer work at a local humane society or senior center.
Swimming lessons, or pre-lifeguarding courses. They'll be glad to have a head-start on securing a summer job at the pool or lake when they get a little bit older.
Horseback riding lessons. (Sigh...)
Dance or gymnastics lessons (indoors in the A/C!)
Tennis lessons.
YMCA programs.
Art classes at a local art store.
Build-a-radio or other "technology" kit.
Nature books and supplies - animal tracks book, magnifying glass, microscope. Add some inexpensive plaster of paris, a mixing container, and a bottle of water, and send them out to make plaster casts of footprints in the woods. Teach them respect for all living things or I'll give them what-for! No trapping insects, frogs and turtles and toads, or shrews, if you please.
Butterfly-growing kit.
Penpals and/or stamp collecting.

And finally, keep a list of chores handy. When asked, "I'm bored - what is there to do?" simply hand out a chore and require that it be accomplished. The kids will either ease up your to-do list (a little work never hurt anybody and it'll help prepare them for when they're out on their own, as well as teach some appreciation for all that's required to run a household), or they'll get wise and learn to entertain themselves without bothering you every half hour.

As my mother would always tell me, "Only the boring are bored." It's never too early to learn that life isn't going to entertain you - you must entertain yourself. And a kid with varied interests and an active mind is going to do better at school next fall than one who spent the summer cozied up with Nintendo.

What not to do? Do not take your kids to Starbucks to get them agitated on caffeine and sugar so that they annoy the adults trying to seek a moment's peace there (ahem). This only reinforces to the wee beasties that their heathenistic behavior is acceptable - and worse, acceptable in public. Whoever came up with the idea of giving children caffeinated beverages in frozen-treat form was an eejit.

Please note: I have no kids nor would I ever want any, so I probably have no idea what I'm talking about. However, these are all things my parents "forced" me to do when I was growing up, and none of them killed me. In fact, as you can see, I can entertain myself quite well as an adult, and I even got to marry a pretty interesting guy who had a project accepted by NASA for a space shuttle mission, who can compose symphonies, who cooks gourmet meals and pairs them with fantastic wines, and who could survive if trapped on a mountaintop for a week with only some string and belly button lint at hand. Worse things could have happened to me.

The lovely Nanette (she of the great stranded color knitting book!) sent me these tips for making septic-safe homemade laundry detergent, and she's told me I may share them with you!

HOMEMADE LAVENDER LAUNDRY DETERGENT

This simple laundry detergent is kinder to the earth and septic systems, leaves your clothes smelling wonderful and feeling soft, and costs a lot less than commercial laundry detergent. I have very hard water and this works very well. I also use it straight as a pre-soak on spots in clothing and brush it in the carpet to remove stains. (Be sure to soak up all the liquid with plenty of paper towels after cleaning a carpet stain.)

If you currently use commercial laundry detergent, switching to to a homemade detergent may leave some residue on clothes the first few times you use it. This is easily fixed by adding 1 cup of white vinegar to the washing machine along with the detergent.

1/3 to 1/2 cup liquid lavender Castile soap (I've also used peppermint in this recipe.)

1/2 cup washing soda (Washing soda is supposedly a different chemical formulation of baking soda. I use Arm & Hammer Washing Soda.)

1/2 cup borax (I use 20 Mule Team Borax)

(Some recipes add 2 Tbsp vegetable glycerin, available at the health food store, to boost cleaning power. I've never tried it though.)

Mix all ingredients in a 2 gallon bucket. Add hot water to fill the bucket and stir well. This will be a thinner concoction than commercial laundry detergent. Save your old laundry detergent containers to store your homemade detergent. You should shake up the mixture before you use it because it has a tendency to separate. I use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup per average laundry load.

NOTE: You can also use grated Castile or vegetable oil soap instead of the liquid Castile. It needs to be grated as finely as possible or it may leave clumps on your laundry and it is best for use with hot water.

P.S. I've also read you can make your own homemade laundry detergent powder for hot water washes by mixing equal parts of finely grated Castile soap, baking soda scented with your favorite essential oils, and washing soda. Use 1/2 cup per laundry load.

Thanks, Nanette!

Gratitudes

I'm so grateful to have the new computer and a decent Internet connection at last. Luckily, we found a great computer armoire on sale (we need to enclose the computer as it's near our open kitchen - don't want grease gunking up its works!)

Jeff played the dutiful husband and assembled it for us yesterday:

Note rickety "before" computer table...

Woo hoo!

It's perfect. I'm so grateful we found just what we were looking for, and at a super price to boot. We also were able to get an All-Clad pan to complete Jeff's collection at a huge savings last week - don't know what kind of serendipity is following us around, but we sure are thankful to be hitting everything at just the right time! Gotta' love good shoppie karma...

I'm also grateful that Miss Fiona has been with us for twelve years, and she's still doing great. We celebrated her birthday yesterday with a round of lamb burgers for everyone:

Chef Jeff Prepares Lamb Burger Bowls

The Natives Getting Restless

Fi Can't Wait And Tries To Eat The Floor

Waiting (Not So) Patiently

Look At That Google Eye!

Tori Tips Bowl Over To Check Beneath For Leftovers

All Finished. Anything Left On The Carpet?

Wishing you an interesting day with lots to do and learn... and good shoppie karma! (Kary, hurry up and get that Wizardy yarn for sale! The new Harry Potter book is out, and orange-and-purple sox sound perfect!)

Daily Dose

2005-07-10T01:12:00.000-05:00

Gratitudes of the day:

Had the spur-of-the-moment privilege of buying a soldier lunch and shaking his hand. His gratitude to us brought tears of humility to my eyes... it was lunch, for goodness' sake; he's willing to sacrifice his life for us. Jeff said that, from the looks of his uniform, he was a reservist, and a doctor. Very nice young guy. I was grateful Jeff and I acted on our mutual impulse and weren't prevented from doing so by shyness.

Wild black raspberries are ripe. We've lots of canes in our wood and all corners of the yard. Fiona (whippet) scratched to go out - not for the usual reason, but to pluck berries - Jeff had given her some earlier in the day, so she knew there were more out there! Went out with her and gathered some for the other dogs and the rats, who loved them. They are delicious when warm from the sun.

Took an evening walk on the mowed path around our meadow, and stopped when I heard a noise next to me in the woods. Turns out it was a sweet pink-toed opossum who'd been eating fallen mulberries. Got to watch him for quite some time as he ambled slowly into deeper cover. Glad he's enjoying the bounty, and that he wasn't too afraid of me so that I was able to really study him (and his cute pink paw pads!)

New bluebird eggs. A catbird nest.

The tall grass has gone to seed, and when the sun is slanting down in the late afternoon, it lights the stalks from behind and makes the field look like a ripping lake of gold.

Twilight time, with fireflies darting amongst the small green apples on the trees in the orchard. There is nothing so beautifully bittersweet as a greeny-gold Wisconsin summer twilight after the Fourth of July.

Having a new idea for a knit (i)PodPocket - an envelope-type design that will allow easier access to the screen and wheel, yet which will still protect them in transit. More later on that... still brewing.

One and one-half measures of 1800 Reposado tequila, one-half measure of Cointreau, and the juice of one just-squeezed lime, shaken with ice until chilled, strained, and sipped slowly while watching the sun go down over the blue spruces and white pines. Sitting still and just being in the moment.

Enjoying a halfway-decent movie - "Stigmata" with Gabriel Byrne and Patricia Arquette. The filmwork was gorgeous and the acting and writing so much better than what's usually available these days... The "message" resonated with me as well (the Divine [whatever that means to each of us] is within us, not in a building or organization.) The use of the color red in the mostly blue-toned scenes was striking. Beautiful in an edgy way. (Quite a treat after having to turn off "Legally Blonde II" after being subjected to just three lines of its inane dialogue last night. Blech. I have become convinced that one's IQ is reduced by one point for each of the cable TV stations one watches on a regular basis.)

Ditch Diggin' Done!

2005-07-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

Septic Update

Thank goodness, it's all finished. How it could ever go from this:

...to this, in just two days, amazes me:

Now there are nine very tacky-looking PVC tubes sticking out of my yard like so many periscopes. Perhaps I will paint them like gnomes, or the Loch Ness Monster's spines, to accentuate the effect. (Can we say, "Time to get plastic boulders to cover them?")

Here are some septic tank facts for you:

If you have the proper area for it, a new septic tank will run you about $9,000 in SE Wisconsin.
If you do not have the proper area, add on $2,000.
If you don't have that much money in your savings account, you should take care of your septic tank.
If you put water from scouring sheep wool, fabric softeners, kitchen grease and disposal grindings, and non-natural/petrochemical-based detergents down your drains, you will ruin your septic system and plug up its tubes.
If you plug up your septic's tubes, your sewage water will come out of the pipes in your house.
New septic systems have an extra tank where there is a little "intersection" of tubes. When the pumpers come to clean out your holding tank every couple of years, they can divert the runoff into a different section of your septic bed until the next cleaning. This allows the initial bed to "dry out", making the entire thing last much longer.
Older septic beds lasted for about 20 years. New ones can last 30 years or longer, with proper care and regular pumping.
If you have a septic system, you should stagger your laundry and do no more than two loads a day. Fine with me.

I apologize if you have found The Great Septic Debacle less than interesting; I, however, have become fascinated by the whole thing. The trencher attends annual septic seminars to learn how to use all his handy-dandy, 21st Century diggin' equipment. His attitude about respecting a septic system as a natural, biological environment was really cool. The fact that his whole family showed up to bring him lunch, and that his young son worked with him (without breaks) for two days was inspiring (Jeff tried to give the boy a tip, but he politely refused, saying he was getting paid and his bill was covered by the terms of our contract! The kid is about ten years old!!)

What I have learned from this is that anything can be interesting if you will only take the time to examine it a bit more closely. Which we all knew already from people who tell us, "I don't know how you can knit, I could never do that... and why would I want to?" If they would only take a moment to examine the process, they might become as fascinated as we all are.

I have a new respect for trenchers and septic pumpers. I will say this: if you can afford the heavy equipment, this is not a bad way to make a very good living!

Garden News

Jeff was busy while the septic work was being done. I wrote that we had to take out our deck for the trencher to have access to some pipes. We're planning a little sitting area, with a perennial, herb, and shade garden, where the deck used to be. Jeff's going to make a gravel center area on which we'll put a little bistro set, and he's laying three meandering flagstone paths that will converge on this circle. We'll then put bark mulch down, and make the area look as natural as possible.

He also primed and painted the wood on the house that was exposed by the deck removal.

Not bad for a guy who spends his days in suits, I must admit!

Jeff's talents extend to gardening, as you know... and here are some more "fruits" of his labors - the remainder of the first batch of shitakes from the kit from Fungi Perfecti!

The ruler is in the pic to give you an idea of how big these guys are.
(Keep in mind that Jeff is over 6 feet, too!)

They grow literally inches in a matter of hours!
(They are shiny only because he had just misted them with water.)

We have a pink oyster mushroom kit on its way to us now, and will try to show you the process from start to finish. Remember, anything is fascinating if you examine it closely enough (hee hee)! Seriously, fungi really are amazing, and seeing these things sprout up so quickly - not to mention enjoying them for dinner the past few nights - has made me want to learn more about them.

I think these kits are a good bargain, considering the prices of gourmet mushrooms (and not even fresh, decent ones at that!) in the grocery store. When you consider you can re-use the kit several times (spores apparently remain dormant in it between cycles), it makes it even more of a bargain! What a great educational project for home-schooled kids, as well.

Growing elsewhere, we have:

The hibiscus I overwintered indoors...

daylilies along the split cedar fence row...

Asiatic lilies near the "patio"...

and baby wrens in the adorable acorn birdhouse from Miss Kary.
You should hear the parents sing! Their warbling stops us in our tracks.
How fortunate this nest is just outside the kitchen window.
Check out Kary's gorgeous new Clappy, by the way!

Gratitudes Of The Day

Click To Play Anthem

Val (and all of us!) are so grateful that his dear Auntie Pamela had left London and was safely home yesterday.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those in the U.K. I felt the effects of the events quite strongly, having lived in London and having a particular sense of patriotism for England - not to mention my dear friend Pamela lives there! Jeff was fearful to break the news to me when I woke up, and indeed, I have to admit I responded with language that would make a sailor blush. When I found that Pamela had just been in London but had left in time, I started shaking and burst into tears of relief. And then felt profound sadness for those who had not been so fortunate...

But this brings to my mind the fact that we are not in control of the world's events, and that we must let go and try to have faith that there is an Entity which is. In the meantime, it is our responsibility not to worry so much about world politics, or what governments are doing (making enemies, when ranting about abstract theories, of our co-workers, family, or friends with whom we may differ on political opinion), but rather to be kind to our neighbors and families and spread love and good energy and mutual respect in our immediate vicinity.

How often do we worry about world hunger while never taking a hot dish to the sick and elderly lady down the street? How often do we get guilted into feeling we don't donate enough money by a musical promoter who makes a fortune on benefit concerts and increased record sales, when, if he and his performers gave up a Lear jet or Rolls Royce apiece, they could feed an entire African village for a decade? I worked in the entertainment industry, and my sister still does (in a major motion picture way) - unfortunately, there are motives other than philanthropy at work in these instances.

Our present-moment, present-vicinity actions and vibes will have more of an effect on world peace than any far-flung-cause-protesting in which we might participate. World peace begins at home. I am grateful for the comfort that brings to my heart - knowing I can make a difference in the Positive Energy Outflow just by not losing my temper at stupid things, or by being kind to the crotchety people next door, or by not engaging in political debates and diatribes. (But that's the hard thing, isn't it? It's hard to actually take personal action, rather than just mailing off a check and feeling smug about it...)

I am grateful for the preparedness and quick response of the U.K. rescue teams.

On a more peaceful note, I am grateful for the beauty of the windspinner that Miss Kary sent, which hangs in a copper birch next to our orchard. We enjoy watching its graceful beauty in the evenings while we sip our wine by the firepit.

I am grateful for our new septic system and new computer but, more than that, the fact that we had enough savings to pay for them. (!!!)

I am grateful to have a curious mind open to learning about septic systems, mushrooms, and podcasting, and the ability to appreciate the knowledge and experience of others.

I'm grateful the only "problems" I've had to contend with this year were a broken computer and a broken septic bed, and not losing my house in a hurricane like poor Deborah did!

I am grateful that once I start counting the things I'm grateful for, I can't seem to stop...

Hope your day is as blessed. Have a good one! I'm sorry I've no knitting news - still working on my Clapotis (using purl stitches instead of stitch markers), and enjoying it very much.

Oh Happy Day

2005-07-06T14:17:00.000-05:00

"On our twelfth anniversary, my true love gave to me..."

"...one new septic tank..."

"... and they chopped down my poor lit-tle tree."

We got a call yesterday that the trenchers would be here at 7 a.m. today. That gave me less than 24 hours to wash all the remaining raw fleece I had in the house, which didn't get finished until 3 a.m. today, as I had to do the 49 loads of laundry that were piled up (waiting for the new septic system to be installed) prior to putting greasy fleece in the washing machine. (We had just had the tank pumped again so there was enough room in there for laundry water for this last hurrah.)

Here's the last of Maplewood North's Sparx drying on the line in lingerie bags:

If it were any other fleece than Sparx's, I would've just said, "Forget it..." but there was no way I was letting this beauty go to waste, sitting for ages in a Rubbermaid tub, unwashed. And I wouldn't trust a processor with this gorgeous Shetland. So, there I was, filling and emptying my washer four times in the middle of the night. It was worth it. And how fitting that Sparx's should be the last fleece I ever wash at home... for what we're paying for this new septic tank and bed, I am not going to gunk it up with lanolin!

Getting a new septic system is a noisy process; they had to smash the old tank in order to bury it, and whatever they used to do it literally shook the house (I was keeping the dogs calm in the bedroom so didn't get to enjoy that particular piece of heavy equipment.) They will be here for a few more days, trenching the field and laying pipes and things, but we only had to be without water for four hours this morning. Nothing like being told you can't use the bathroom to make you really, really feel like you need to.

Do you think her name is Maryann?

The man in the hole has a laser on a long pole, which beeps to tell him how deep his trench is.
Welcome to Septic Systems in the 21st Century.

Not only did they have to chop down my silver maple, but they had to cut my hawthorn and honey locust in half (sob, sob).

If it means I can take a bath again after a month of having only two-minute showers every other day, I'll take some missing branches. Jeff did check for birds' nests prior to all the mauling.

But I'm in no mood to go out for an anniversary dinner... maybe next week.

In less stressful news (if you don't count the balance on my Visa card), we finally came into the 21st Century ourselves and got a new computer and high speed Internet access! I cannot believe all that I can now see and do in such short periods of time.

Jeff spent the weekend using the standard software on the iMac G5 20" (say it with me now... "It's worth the price because it'll last 10 years like the previous Mac!") to create DVDs of the digital photos from some of his trips. He made slideshows, complete with "Ken Burns" effects and soundtracks, and I think these will actually be watched by family members with interest rather than yawns.

Jeff and Tori on screensaver in background.
I know my mind is numb from septic stress because I frequently find myself
engrossed in watching our photo screensaver as entertainment.

I played with the Garage Band software and wrote a song and used iTunes to turn it into an AAC file, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to get it up here for you to listen to. That's probably a good thing as it involves jazz piano and jazz bass with accoustic guitar and tabla drums. (!)

I did it! Please visit my new Podcasting blog, Stasia's Place Podcast. You can hear my silly song (or not) and, in future, hear my audio blog. Point your podcatching software to http://feeds.feedburner.com/StasiasPlaceOfGracePodcast for the direct feed.

What's a new Mac without an iPod, I ask you? When I found out that the thing could hold my scheduling calendar, shopping lists, and address book in addition to music, I had to have one. And what's an iPod without a PodPocket? I made one up while listening to the KnitCast podcast:

iPod Mini 6G all dressed up and ready to go.

PodPocket Pattern

Then start knitting in rounds - pick up 1 sts. on short side, 10 stitches on opposite long side, and 1 st. on second short side, so that you have 22 sts. total. Proceed in K1P1 ribbing until the pouch is to the top of your iPod Mini.

BO one short side stitch, one long side of 10 sts, and the other short side st. - you have 10 sts. remaining to knit the flap. I did a 3 st. rib on the outside edges of the flap, with plain stockinette in the center four sts. After knitting this to a length of about 3", I bound off the center four stitches on the next row. On the following row, I cast on 4 sts. to replace them, and continued knitting the flap. This made a buttonhole.

The ribbing keeps the iPod from falling out of the pocket. The thick cotton will protect it well in case I should drop it.

The strap is a 5 st. i-cord sewn to the sides of the pocket. It is long enough for me to put it through a belt loop and then "lark's head" the pouch through it.

I'm not thrilled with the design as the thing bounes against my leg when I walk, isn't long enough to wear around my neck (the band would be too thick for this, and would look dorky, anyway), and I can't see the screen or wheel to change settings while the iPod is in it.

However, Apple says that you should play your music from a Playlist to conserve battery life, so I shouldn't be futzing with the buttons all the time anyway, right? And this will keep it clean, and safe in my bag or in the car... because I had to get the FM transmitter for it, too, for trips to the grocery store, dont'cha' know...

The progress on the Clapotis continues:

For Earth Day, my sister sent us an organic shitake kit (she doesn't send Christmas gifts but celebrates Earth Day instead. Are you surprised to learn she lives in Los Angeles?):

We had our first harvest in a stir-fry last night:

The first harvest.

Jeff's fingers for scale.

They were incredibly delicious. Apparently, you can get three or four harvests from this kit, drying it out for two weeks in-between each gardening session. For more info, go to www.fungi.com.

I'm off to knit and catch up on some podcasts (some favorites below). Hope your day is a good one!

Tartan Podcast - First music-based podcas hoted and produced in Scotland. I could listen to his accent forever...

EatFeed - The podcast that takes you back in time, across the country, around the world, and back to your own table.

KnitCast - Marie Irshad interviews Kate Gilbert, designer of the Clapotis!

2005-06-24T08:49:00.000-05:00

Quick Update On Previous Entry

Stephanie asked about the Eastern Uncrossed knitting method - also known as Combination Knitting. More info can be found here and in the book "Confessions of a Knitting Heretic" by Anne Modesitt.

It is a great technique for those with finger, hand, or wrist pain. Hope that info helps!

Without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Gilbert and Sullivan, five-month-old rattie boys who were adopted last week. As rat neutering is $95 per rat, these guys currently have separate living quarters from The Girls. We'll talk about neutering after the septic is fixed and paid for!

Have a GREAT weekend!

2005-06-23T17:13:00.000-05:00

Help Wanted!

My computer is in intensive care on life support. It is hanging on by a thread. It is time to sign up for high speed cable Internet access (we cannot get DSL here in the sticks) and to get a new Mac.

Since I no longer work outside the home, I don't need the latest and greatest thing that can print, fax, or access the web wirelessly from out in my yard or at the local Starbucks. Nor do I have much use for the PC side of my current Mac.

I would just like to be able to write and print things, balance the checkbook, and access the web at something other than turtle speed, and stop getting "The Bomb" all the time. (Yes, I have rebuilt my desktop, eliminated unnecessary extensions, run Disk First Aid, etc. - my Mac is over 10 years old and I'm running system 8.6 with a dial-up connection and a 31200 bps connection rate! Grrrr!)

Jeff would like to burn CDs and DVDs, and use a new digital camera for photos and movies (my digital camera has disks you insert. My computer has disks you insert. When's the last time you saw that?)

Jeff is not thrilled with the idea of a laptop but I would like a computer I can close up and put away because my rats live on top of my computer desk and they tend to toss crumbs out of their cage for some kind of rattie entertainment. It makes for a rather crunchy keyboard. (Speaking of rats, watch for an exciting update concerning our newly adopted boys, Gilbert and Sullivan!)

The ISP we are thinking of going with (I don't think we have a choice...) is Charter.

So your help and advice are wanted - if you can make a recommendation on what Mac I should be looking at, or warn me about any OS or browser versions I want to avoid, or give me the lowdown on whether I need to spend the additional $10 a month for the super-duper-fast-Internet-access, I would very much appreciate the help! Please e-mail me at NOSPAMMEjeffnstasiaATearthlinkDOTnetNOSPAMME removing all capitals and inserting proper punctuation. Thank you so much for any help you can offer!

Fibery Pursuits

My second project for the KnitTheClassics "Middlemarch" book is a Clapotis in Brooks Farm Yarn's "Four Play" silk and wool in the "Classy" colorway:

Thanks to Kary and Nan, I was able to figure out a way to make this despite my Eastern Uncrossed knitting method. I do love the way I knit - it's so fast and requires less hand movement than "normal" knitting - but it always creates a problem when it comes to interpreting a pattern. In order to make a twisted stitch, for instance, I find I must knit through the front loop of a knit stitch instead of the back one as the pattern calls for.

Rather than using the markers that the pattern suggests, I'm purling all stitches between the sets of two twisted stitches in the pattern repeat. It is going much faster this way - thanks again, Kary!

The yarn is very soft and I love the colors. This will be great to dress up a white cotton shirt and jeans come fall.

I also love glazed pottery and the bowl in the pic is my favorite. It is by a local artisan.

I am making good progress on "Middlemarch" by listening to it on tape as I knit. There was no way I could keep up with the actual reading and get any knitting done.

Septic Progress

A big digging machine a la Mike Mulligan's Steam Shovel showed up this week and proceeded to dig seven-foot-deep holes all over my yard. Then it filled them back in:

Apparently they were only here to do soil testing. No one can tell me when the actual digging of our new septic bed will commence. Permits are still being requiested from the county. I am still rationing dishes and laundry, never mind a long, hot bath which I could REALLY USE TO EASE THE STRESS OF THIS SITUATION. Ahem.

Actually, a hot bath doesn't sound too good today - it is 96.5 degrees here now, and as you can see from the brownish grass in the photos, we haven't had much rain lately. In fact, this is the fourth driest spring on record here in Wisconsin.

Maybe if the digger came back and dug up all the sod from on top of the current septic system, it would just evaporate, considering the weather...

Don't even get me started on contractors. If, when I worked in the business world, I was ever as non-commital and disorganized as these people, I would have been fired within one week. Who drives around with a giant digging machine on a truck, and just shows up without warning, "taking a chance that you'd be home..."? (I wasn't, and he had to come back, though we'd ordered the digging to be done, and he could've just gone ahead without me here!)

Besides being roasted alive and living buried under piles of unwashed laundry, I had to drop everything and take a stray cat to the humane society today. If you have never tried to put a stray cat with all its claws intact into a box, with four dogs barking madly in the background, in sweltering heat, and then get said boxed cat into the A/C for a minute (past the dogs) so you can take the dogs out so they don't have accidents while you're away with the cat, and if you didn't bother to change out of your Pilates clothes or wash your hair (because you can't use any dang water!), take it from me - Do Not Try This At Home.

I'm sorry, this is not supposed to be a grumpy place... now, where's my martini?

Cocktail Of The Day

To weather the weather and the digging and the contractors and lack of bathwater, I have begun looking forward to The Cocktail Of The Day. I limit this to one, but try something new each time to make life interesting (and bearable under the current circumstances - that is why I limit it to one... otherwise I'd be in big trouble!)

Today's recipe is for a Clam Digger, which is awesome and has made me want fried clams and corn on the cob and a folding chair on an East Coast beach somewhere:

Pour all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a wedge of lime. From "Complete Home Bartender's Guide" by Salvatore Calabrese.

How funny are these cocktail-oriented sticky notes?

Maybe we should get away from the septic stress and heat, and take a trip up to The German Beer Place.

Von Rothenburg Bier Stube, Germantown, Wisconsin.

Step into the beer garden out back.

They have specials on BBQ ribs, or half-liters of beer, depending on the night of the week. Knitting is most welcome in the beer garden or on the balcony. Indoors, it is air-conditioned, and the chairs and tables are all made of beautiful wood - you'd think you were in Germany with the stained glass windows and displays of German specialty drinking glassses.

Thirsty? Just order up a boot:

Jerry's Old Town, located just next door and owned by the same guy, sells the highest amount of ribs in the country, I believe. They are amazing.

Rottie's and Jerry's.

We saw our first big brown bats the other night. The baby bluebirds have flown the nest. I heard crickets. The roses are in bloom. I have yarn, and a full liquor cabinet and wine "cellar", and weekly deliveries from the organic farm coming in - the bread from their new artisan baker is amazing. With all of that, who cares about septic tanks and crappy computers?

Happy start of summer!

2005-06-17T16:37:00.000-05:00

Booze, Books & Bushes - a day of Bs

First, get your patootie over to Claudia's blog - you only have a few more hours to help her hit the $3,000 mark for a donation to fight MS by sponsoring her tandem bike ride! Click on the cute bicycling couple to the right... ------->

She's giving away lovely stuff to winning donators, too!

Well now... whilst waiting for soil tests, county permits, and an invisible septic crew (and since I can't do laundry, dishes, or clean my bathrooms), I have been studying a new (used) book:

I never knew you could make a cream cocktail with actual cream and not a bunch of artificial emulsifying stabilizer stuff. Or that you could make a Sea Breeze with real, hand-"squoze" grapefruit juice and not Ocean Spray grapefruit-flavored big-agribusiness chemical'd corn syrup. But now I do.

So, then, what is wrong with this picture?

You need this stuff to make decent cocktails. But you do not need so much of it. I have nowhere to keep these bottles! Why do they not sell these in a size between itty-bitty-miniature and honkin' liter? They would make a mint with a "Midi" (apologies to the Bosworths), and my relatives will then not have to figure out what to do with all of these bottles which will still be three-quarters full when I kick the [champagne] bucket.

In the meantime, I have discovered my signature drink - it is called a Berliner: 1.5 measures gin, 1/2 measure dry vermouth, 1/2 measure Kummel (caraway liqueur), and 1/2 measure lemon juice shaken with ice and strained into a chilled martini glass. The book calls it "...a dry and very grown-up sort of drink." Exactly so.

I have been reading some other books:

"Middlemarch" is for the KnitTheClassics knitalong. Here is what I knit this time around:

Again, what is wrong with this picture? Well, aside from having blocked the far right side very poorly, I made a big mistake combining this pattern with this yarn. Koigu KPPPM is best in stockinette socks. Lace scarves are best in a plain-colored yarn that shows off the stitches.

This is supposed to have some beads sewn onto the points on the ends, but I'm not sure if it's worth doing so. I guess this will just go in the gift bin to be thought about later. Hopefully I'll have better luck on my Clapotis - but first I will finish up the top-down raglan T I'm trying to design.

As for Bushes, I offer the following pics of what's Blooming in the garden today:

Sage, Meyer lemon, and penstemmon.

Sage, penstemmon, and some other blue flower I can't remember. Love blue flowers...

Here's another B for today.

Chives. The flowers are edible. I've frozen them in ice cubes for my cocktails.

Lavender

Strawberries with a "scare-munk". I've decided that I have too much food in my fridge and the chipmunks will never find all the seeds they are burying, so I'm going to take away Reflecty Cat and let them eat their fill. How mean am I to hoard these? And me always worried about my weight!

Spiderwort

Hope your day is as Blessed with Bounty. Go easy on the Booze and B-have!

2005-06-07T18:46:00.000-05:00

Busy Week

We have baby rattie names! Please meet Knitte:

And this would be Perle:

Perle is the one with the pink tip on her tail. Thank you all for e-mailing and posting your suggestions, especially those who suggested "Knit" and "Purl" - what a great idea!

As you can see, the rattie girls are getting used to being held a little more. I thought treats in the food dish would be a good insurance policy, though.

Seems like this guy thinks treats are a good idea as well - get a load of those stuffed cheeks!

I've been enjoying the sunsets, and current lack of mosquitoes, out by the firepit of an evening. Here I am knitting on the Artful Yarns "Fable" top-down raglan T. There is a pinyon log smoking away - what a wonderful aroma.

On Memorial Day I took a drive through the Wisconsin Memorial Park. I have never seen so many U.S. flags on display. The grounds are extensive and very beautiful, with ponds, streams with bridges, and pine forests. It was comforting to see all the families there paying their respects.

Since we are having to have our septic tank and field replaced, we had to remove the deck so the construction crew would have access. DH Jeff accomplished this last Saturday with the help of friends Tony and Dave... you know who your true friends are when they actually show up for the hard times.

Can you believe they got this all apart in only two hours? It took me longer to cook lunch for them all!

We're not replacing the deck, but are going to put in a woodland shade garden, and possibly a small stone patio with room for a bistro set.

Luckily, the guys didn't trample my plants - these strawberries should be ripe in a few days, and if my "scare-chips" (bamboo tripods with tin foil strips hanging from twine) work, I might get to actually taste one this year.

Tony was kind enough to construct a pine casket for dear, departed Sherman as well. We had a funeral and he is at rest in the orchard beneath a pear tree. Dave thought he would give a eulogy but I cut him off when he chose the opening words from Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" or some such nonsense... the weenie!

On a side note, on Sunday, we attended a retirement party for Dave. He is not yet 40, but he has given up his job to stay at home and raise his infant son, Alex. No daycare for this family. Way to go, Dave! He was quite shocked at the surprise party and walked around in a daze for a couple of hours... serves him right for his silly eulogy.

After the deck removal, rattie funeral, Dave's surprise party, learning the septic people expect me to get myself, my four dogs, and my two cats all out of the house on the day they will be working here, and then having Jeff's homemade beer blow up all over the garage this afternoon, I was ready for this:

A Hendrick's martini a la "The Martini Diet". 1.5 oz. gin, .75 oz. dry vermouth, chilled over ice and strained into a sparkling martini glass - garnish with a cucumber instead of lime if using Hendrick's. And remember not to combine "The Martini Diet" with the "French Women Don't Get Fat" diet which calls for a glass of wine at each meal!

As Dorothy Parker said,

She also said, "What fresh hell is this?" which is one of my favorite lines but NOT a line from Hamlet as I and everyone else seem to think. I repeat it to myself often... like when I find beer bottles and beer all over my garage...

Hope your weekend was better than mine! Have a great rest of the week. I intend to enjoy this martini and knit my night away before I have a stroke. I also have to catch up on reading "Middlemarch" for the KnitTheClassics blog/group. I requested the books on tape through interlibrary loan today. I mean, if I'm reading, I'm not knitting, and vice versa; this is an 800-or-so-page book and if I want to finish it and the scarf I'm working on, it'll be better to work on both at once!

2005-05-29T20:52:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend, as we honor those who have served, we're sending a special salute to our favorite sailor, Jack. The flag's out for you, and you're in our prayers!

On the fiber front, I'm currently knitting the Razor Shell scarf by Martha:

Here is another view of Martha's beautiful completed scarf. Martha tells me she used two 50g balls of the recommended yarn, which is a fingering at 175 yds./skein. The yarn I'm using is Koigu KPPPM merino in color P173. The KPPPM skeins have the same yardage as the Bergere Doussine called for in the pattern - Martha thinks it may have been discontinued. The pattern's repeat is a multiple of 10 plus one; I'm doing it over 51 sts. All wrong side rows are purl and the single row of patterning is easy to memorize. It works up quickly and I can't wait to find baubles to tether to the points at the end. Thanks, Martha!

I'd like to try another with Kary's handpainted merino "sock" yarn.

Mine looks crumply because, of course, it isn't blocked yet. The book in the pic is Debbie Macomber's "The Shop On Blossom Street" and it's a nice, light summer read about four very different women who become friends at a yarn shop while learning to knit a baby blanket. There's an Ann Norling baby blanket pattern included in the book as well - a pic is here.

This yarn below is by Stacy Charles - it's called "Cosmos" and it's color 1124. It's for the "Cosmos Poncho" from the book "Handknit Style" (see previous post for pic). I had a really hard time tracking down this yarn, but DeeAnn at Knitwitts was amazingly helpful - and, dear ones, she just got in a shipment from the Stacy Charles distributor, so if you're interested in this lovely wrap, get in touch with her now before the stuff sells out again. She gets an A+ from me for customer service! Darn it if I'm not still waiting for the book from Amazon, though.

That's not such a bad thing, because - oo la la! - I'm anxious to cast something else on... lookie here:

That would be my Four Play wool and silk yarn in the "Classy" colorway from Brooks Farm Yarn. Holy moley, is this stuff to-die-for... no photo can possibly capture the beautiful colors, not to mention the glorious softness. You just have to try it for yourself and find out why their booth is, apparently, sold out within minutes at the fiber fests. Thanks to Miss Kary for recommending this (see her May 6, 2005 entry for gorgeous pics) and for inspiring me to make a Clapotis bias drop-stitch wrap! I purchased three skeins of this yarn and I think it'll be enough - I'll keep you posted.

I'm still working on my Artful Yarns "Fable" silk and cotton raglan top-down T, and my Debbie Bliss "Cashmerino Aran" raglan top-down turtleneck. I have never made a raglan and now here I am, making two... or rather not making two because I am getting sidetracked by lovely scarves! Another day, another lovely project...

I still haven't attached the buttons to my Peace Fleece Everyday Cardigan, but I'm glad Kary encouraged me to complete the seaming, because I've been wearing it a lot, buttons or no. It is a soft, "spongy", cushy-feeling sweater that is just right for tossing on during these strange spring days when we go from sun to sprinkles five times in an hour.

I had it on when Jeff and I ate dinner outside this evening. We threw a pinyon log in the firepit, cooked BBQ ribs and baked beans in the can on the grill, and were serenaded by songbirds throughout our picnic. Felt like we were out camping - a nice "vacation" before we got back to the long-weekend duty roster... which includes dealing with a dying septic bed - sigh! I am so ready for a shower! Thankfully I have my knitting to keep me relaxed through this minor speedbump of life.

We have two new members in our household - twin two-month-old baby rattie girls:

They were adopted from the Washington County Humane Society after our dear Sherman was put to sleep due to incurable illness (he had been receiving veterinary care for a month.)

We haven't decided on names for The Girls yet, so suggestions are most welcome! They are almost identical, but one is darker brown with an all-brown tail (the outgoing rattie) and the other is a little lighter, with a pink tip on her tail (they shy but intelligent rattie).

We're allowing them some quiet time to settle in and get used to humans. They're adjusting very well and have big appetites - not to mention a lot of late-night energy for running on their (12" chinchilla-sized, flat-bottomed for safety) wheel!

On the foliage front, there are lots of things in bloom:

May apple, a native woodland plant.

Columbine

Another type of columbine.

Iris. Don't you want to drink something a la Alice and crawl in there and take a nap?

Lily of the valley, my favorite.

Asiatic lily.

Strawberries!

The ferns in our woods.

Val and I wish you a good holiday weekend. From us, heartfelt thanks to all who have served our country and ensured our treasured freedom!

2005-05-17T20:01:00.000-05:00

C'est si bon! (It is good!)

Good Food - I've lost eight pounds on my new Frenchy-fied diet, which consists of meals (mostly organic) including things like these:

Homemade herbed rye bread with homemade herbed cream cheese;

Salads of Romaine lettuce, walnuts, toasted walnut oil, and Maytag blue cheese;

Tenderloin au poive or garlic- and rosemary-encrusted roast pork tenderloin with oven-fried Yukon gold potato slices dusted with Penzey's Smoked Spanish Paprika;

French baguettes;

Hothouse tomatoes with sea salt, Penzey's Four Peppercorn Blend, and fresh chopped basil;

Assorted cheeses;

Valrhona or Rapunzel semisweet chocolate.

Inexpensive but very decent wines I've been enjoying are St. Supery Napa Valley 2003 Sauvignon Blanc and Columbia Crest Grand Estates Columbia Valley 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon.

The secret seems to be slowing down - taking the time to shop for the best ingredients, cooking your own food, and sitting down to an enjoyable, relaxing meal... no TV, no computer, no crabby talk. Experiencing the food with all of your senses, and noticing every bite. I'm enjoying this very much!

Goodies Have Arrived!

Good Friends - Claudia is the kind of girl you really would like to hate... but can't! Sure, she's beautiful, thin, talented, smart, a lawyer, an incredibly productive knitter and spinner... but on top of that, she's generous and thoughtful - just look what came in the mail:

Yeah, baby! That would be the coveted Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival logo mug, along with some spring-bright CVM roving. Yum! Accompanying these goodies was a wonderful bar of lavender-rosepetal soap. Thanks, Claudia - you rock!

Good Cause - Besides the generosity and kindness she shows we-mere-humans-beneath-her-perfectly-pedicured-feet, Claudia also volunteers for worthy causes.

Won't you join me in sponsoring her bike ride for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society June on 25th-26th?

I challenge to you match - or, better yet, beat - my $30 sponsorship; for that donation, you will get three (or more) chances to win some of Claudia's gorgeous yarn! Sponsor Claudia and hubby Stig's tandem ride with a credit card here or see her always-interesting blog for other options. They're riding 175 miles over two days. I can't even drive 175 miles in two days - go, Team B.!

And how many goodies can a girl find in her mailbox in one day? Dear Veryl (you may know her husband, famous for the Pele's Hair spindles made of gorgeous Hawaiian woods) sent these wonderful books, which I can't wait to read:

Thanks, Veryl!

Good Stuff

Things I've been liking:

Gruet sparkling wine,
Shadow & Light's Black Tea & Honey body lotion,
Maytag (yes, that Maytag!) blue cheese (red plastic wrap!),
Whittard's Spice Imperial tea.

How cute is Dyed-in-the-Wool Wine from New Zealand?

Good Things To Keep Me Occupied

As promised, here is a pic of my very first, hand-pieced and hand-quilted Flannel Fiona Quilt (a practice project given to my chilly whippet):

If you want to see some real quilts, take a peek at the May 1st Quilt Show - wow!

Next on my to-do list is this neat wrap, called the Cosmos Poncho:

It's from the book Handknit Style and the yarn is Stacy Charles' "Cosmos".

Right now I'm making up a top-down, square neck raglan t-shirt of sorts in Artful Yarns "Fable" (cotton/silk):

After that, I have to figure out how to frame my Bayeux Tapestry goose embroidery. I have the mat and frame... I'm just not too sure how to proceed. I think I need to stretch the piece over some backing cardboard, sewing the edges with long basting threads on the back... but do I need to cover that cardboard with acid-free paper or something first? Advice would be appreciated!

Speaking of advice, thank you all for your wooden button tips!

Nature News

I'd like you to meet Whitey - we adopted him as his parents moved to Australia and had to leave him behind:

The chequered lilies and narcissus seem to have spread this year:

It seems to be peak migration for songbirds. Visiting the feeders, we have:

Goldfinch

House Finch

Song Sparrow

Cardinal

Oriole

I think this is a grosbeak...

And the usual suspects.

May your day be full of good things as well!

2005-05-11T13:33:00.000-05:00

FINALLY an FO!!!

Here it is - the Peace Fleece Everyday Cardigan, all seamed up and ready to go! Okay, so it hasn't been blocked yet, and it doesn't have the buttons sewn on yet (anyone have a good method for making wood buttons detachable, for washing?) But... the Dreaded Deadly Seaming And Weaving-In has been completed!

The pieces were knit and blocked ages ago, and have been sitting in my living room, glaring at me every time I walked past, for months. Here and now, I vow: no more seamed patterns for me.

However, I do need to say that this pattern was well-written and very easy and fast to knit (DO be sure to check the measurements on the printed ruler on your copy of the pattern, however - my copy was not accurately printed, and I did notify Peace Fleece about it for future printings.)

The best part about it is that it does not have gorilla arms, despite being a drop-shoulder pattern! The sleeves actually fit without having to be rolled up.

Here's a pic of it - the sweater isn't exactly cropped, but does hit at waist level, so it looks a bit boxy flat-out:

I made some modifications - I did a seed-stitch collar (just picked up the recommended number of stitches, and then seed-stitched until it looked big enough). I also didn't seam all the way down the sides - I left the ribbed border at the bottom edge with a little "flare" at the side for ease - you can see it at the bottom left in the photo.

What you can't see is how this colorway - Zarya Fog - is not just plain grey, but full of little bits of teal, fuchsia, and other bright colors. It looks like rainbows reflected in dew when you see it in real life.

My personal favorite source for Peace Fleece yarn? Why, Miss Kary, of course! And don't be fooled by those unscrupulous imitators who've adapted her "spiel" - Kary's artistic, hand-crafted spinning batts are the originals. She's been spinning for years, is a true fiber artist, and she only offers the best! Need I add that she is the kindest human being you've ever met, freely sharing her talents and skills? Or that she (verifiably!) donates a goodly portion of her proceeds to worthy causes? I am lucky and blessed to call her my friend!

Maybe I would complete more of my long-standing knitting projects if I hadn't gotten so interested in quilting. Here is the latest acquisition on my road to ruin - a Hinterberg hand quilting hoop (a gift from a family member). Can't wait to try it out!

(Pamela, I do NOT think you can lean on it - maybe you would like this or this instead? They're both small and foldable!)

The "practice quilt" I made for Fiona is finished - I'll have some photos of it, and a quilt show I attended her in Wisconsin on May 1st, coming up soon... if you ever get the chance to go to a quilt show, GO, even if you aren't a quilter. The colors and artistry and beauty will amaze you.

No more time to blog - must dash to finish the pink Cashmerino Aran top-down, SEAMLESS ribbed raglan, so that I can cast ON for a Clapotis (seen Kary's? It's awesome! The Brooks Farm Yarns are a-callin' me...)

Please tell me this - with tubs and tubs of fiber and yarn, why is it that when I want to cast on for a project, I never seem to have exactly what's required?

I read several wonderful books recently - about enjoying life and food and family and fun. Though some have recipes, they read more like good, suck-you-in fiction, with neat ideas for enjoying marvelous meals and events while not gaining weight. They're about how, if you enjoy the best of everything, you don't end up trying to fill yourself up (emotionally or physically) with low-quality crud. Champagne and chocolate, anyone? Works for me! Take a peek and see if you'd enjoy any of them as your summer chaise-longue-lounging, Perrier-sipping reading:

"Joie de Vivre: Simple French Style For Everyday Living"

"French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret Of Eating For Pleasure"

"The Martini Diet: The Self-Indulgent Way To A Thinner, More Fabulous You"

Have a LOVELY day, spend your time with POSITIVE, (truly!) CREATIVE, AUTHENTIC people, and do something good for yourself - you deserve it! As for me, I am going to glory in the beautiful flowering trees and lush leaves and baby bunnies that are flooding my senses today. Even if we are having off-and-on thunderstorms. You all be GOOD, and BE OF GOOD CHEER.

2005-04-08T20:12:00.000-05:00

Creativity

April is National Poetry Month, so if you'd like, go here and listen to this poem. It is beautiful and powerful. It is called "Poetry Is Wanted Here" by Alex Caldiero.

I like that there are still poets being creative in this world.

I have been creative myself- that is why I've been so quiet!

Mother Nature wasn't zooming along quick enough for me, so I forced some branches to leaf out:

I also got a jump start on my garden:

Unwilling to spend $239 on a real one, I made the World's Cheapest Cheese Press, for under $12:

I have been learning to embroider with a kit Jeff brought back from Normandy some time ago; it is a recreation of a portion of the Bayeux tapestry (which is not a tapestry, and which was not made in Bayeux... and Pamela tells me that Victorians later embroidered shorts on the previously naked soldiers as well!):

I have been hand-piecing and hand-quilting my first quilt, which I made up on my own:

It is for Fiona (because it is a practice quilt!), so I embroidered a picture of her in the center:

In Other News...

I have been haunting antique stores and picked up this - anyone have need of an antique lazy kate? It is very neat! There are square nails in it, the bobbin holders are all handmade - just utterly cool! I had to grab it, even though I knew the bobbins wouldn't fit my wheels - thought one of you might be interested!

Also found two little self-contained sewing kits:

And besides that, just taking care of the pets (a full-time job!) - Sherman says, "Hi!" everyone:

Fibery Stuff

Have had no interest in anything fibery like knitting or spinning or weaving... tossed aside my Sheep & Wool brochures as they arrived... filed my knitting mags without even looking inside... glanced at Spin-Off just to look for friends' names... chucked out my spinning wheel and spindle catalogs with nary a peek. Eeek! What is wrong with me?

Am reading every book to be found on quilting, as well as those on crewelwork and embroidery in general (methinks crewelwork and embroidery in general are becoming lost arts - all that is to be found in shops and online are basic cross-stitch patterns!) I'm interested in Elizabethan embroidery... but there is not a lot of information that I can find. Sad.

Everyone go learn to embroider something, before it becomes extinct! There's hardly a chance of that happening to spinning now, thanks to you guys... let's branch out into new territory!

Have a good creative day and try something new!

(And in the meantime, will someone tell me why needlepoint kits should be so darned expensive?)